Closer look at the roster next season vs this past season

[Rhavicc]

Pretty good assessment by the OP except at SF. Booker/Lyles offensively > Mulder.
And I think Mulder will do well.
But you have to keep in mind his 45% at 3 was vs JUCO defenders, he won't shoot that well at UK.
If he shoots 36%+ from 3, I will be happy, 40%+ extremely happy.
As good as Booker was at shooting 3's, I think his mid-range game was better, and despite not being the most athletic player he was the best finisher at the basket I've seen at UK in a long time. And Lyles gave us a very different look (offensively as well as defensively) that many teams simply couldn't defend well.

Bear a few things in mind, Jon. How often did Booker take contested threes? You can truly count it on one hand. A JUCO defender is harder to shoot over than no defender at all any way you put it. That was the case with any shooters really. We move the ball until we get open shooters, it's always been that way. With his speed and athleticism (Which is the best of any guard we've had in a couple of years, if not longer), I expect him to be able to get open more than either Booker or Harrison. Especially Lyles.
I will certainly agree that Booker was better when he got closer to the basket, but I think we'll be pleasantly surprised with Mulder all around. I think he just has more tools to work with, and he's at least better than Booker with the one thing we intended to replace Booker with, which is 3 point shooting

3 point shooting translates better from JUCO to D1 than it does from high school to D1 because the line is just as far back in D1 as it is in JUCO.
I don't see us taking contested threes unless it's necessary, so I expect at least 44% from 3 out of Mulder..

 

[Rhavicc]

Someone's been drinking too much blue Kool aid.

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Oddly enough, it seems not many people agree with you on a lot of things. Can't imagine why.

 

[docholiday51]

I think this has been a good discussion of what we can look for next year.There is no doubt that we have several very good players that can hold their own compared to last years guys.What and how much will we get from Lee and Willis next year,as it stands right now we will need production from these 2 players.I think they will need to play a combined 20+ minutes a game and give us 12 and 7 (ppg,rpg)

 

[Rhavicc]

I think this has been a good discussion of what we can look for next year.There is no doubt that we have several very good players that can hold their own compared to last years guys.What and how much will we get from Lee and Willis next year,as it stands right now we will need production from these 2 players.I think they will need to play a combined 20+ minutes a game and give us 12 and 7 (ppg,rpg)

Reasonable expectations. I think at the pace we will play, Willis will be happy with his minutes.

 

[Hoskins91]

I agree in that the people who feel like we are going to be terrible next season are being extreme. However, I would expect to have 7-10 losses total this year, regardless of how we do in the post season, since that seems to be what has consistently happened when we had mass exoduses like this past year. There is always an adjustment period for the new guys, and as we have seen, that can take most of the year for some of them. We have four guys who I feel will be at least solid, the problem is everyone after that has serious question marks.

 

[meteordealer]

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Oddly enough, it seems not many people agree with you on a lot of things. Can't imagine why.

Actually a lot of people agree with me. They just know they'll get bashed by the Blue Kool-aid crowd if they say something other than "WOO HOO! Everything is going awesome! We're gonna be world beaters next season!"

If you think Mulder is gonna be better than Booker and Lyles you're crazy. There's a reason he's spent his career playing in Canada against teams that are the equivalent of what you'll find at a local YMCA. Meanwhile, Booker and Lyles are NBA lottery picks.

Ulis and Briscoe being better than the Twins remains to be seen. Andrew was the starter and shouldered all of the pressure. We'll see how Ulis handles it when he's the focus of opposing teams. Can Briscoe knock down clutch shots like Aaron? The Twins size also gave them an advantage on the defensive end. Opposing guards will just shoot right over Ulis.

Poythress is coming off knee surgery. We don't know how well he'll recover.

We have 1 SG. We're very thin at SF. We have no banger down low. We have a roster that's heavy on PG's (Ulis, Briscoe, Hawkins) and PF's (Poythress, Lee, Willis, Skal).

I see a lot of issues with our lineup that likely won't be fixed.

 

[OmahaCat12]

I like the OP's optimism....but damn. You are basically saying that this upcoming team will be better than last years historic team. (You said 7/10 things would better this upcoming year, with one being a draw)

No offense, but you might be a little crazy. And that might be a good thing. But to say that 70% of the offensive/defensive aspects of this upcoming team will be better than a historically great team is......uhhh.......well, pretty insane.

 

[OmahaCat12]

And for people saying that Briscoe/Ulis will be better than the twins.
1) The twins were always really good (for the most part) in the tournament and helped us to 2 final fours
2) Theres a reason the twins started and played more minutes than Ulis. It'll be interesting to see how Ulis does "full time". I don't think itll be an issue, but something to watch for.
3) When the twins came to UK, they were highly esteemed (rightfully so). People that are saying that an incoming JUCO recruit (who I love btw, despite people on here thinking we "settled" for him) and another recruit will be exponentially better than the twins are a little crazy.

In summary, the twins were great for us. 2 final fours in 2 years? Ill take that any day of the week.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

There is no way this year's team is close to last year's team right now on paper. Just stop with that. I think by March they will be in the thick of things, and that is all that matters, but come on now

 

[Rhavicc]

I like the OP's optimism....but damn. You are basically saying that this upcoming team will be better than last years historic team. (You said 7/10 things would better this upcoming year, with one being a draw)

No offense, but you might be a little crazy. And that might be a good thing. But to say that 70% of the offensive/defensive aspects of this upcoming team will be better than a historically great team is......uhhh.......well, pretty insane.

Understand what I'm trying to say, Omaha. The team will not have the record that this team has, it just can't match the depth, BUT, I think this team has potential to go further. Depth is what made last year's team have the record that it did. Our bench was better than the starting five of at least every team except for maybe 5 teams last year. Those 5 or so teams were not better than UK, but 2 of them went further than UK.
I think this team will have a better starting 5 than the one that UK could have produced last season, but it will not have that kind of record because it does not have that kind of depth.

And for people saying that Briscoe/Ulis will be better than the twins.
1) The twins were always really good (for the most part) in the tournament and helped us to 2 final fours
2) Theres a reason the twins started and played more minutes than Ulis. It'll be interesting to see how Ulis does "full time". I don't think itll be an issue, but something to watch for.
3) When the twins came to UK, they were highly esteemed (rightfully so). People that are saying that an incoming JUCO recruit (who I love btw, despite people on here thinking we "settled" for him) and another recruit will be exponentially better than the twins are a little crazy.

In summary, the twins were great for us. 2 final fours in 2 years? Ill take that any day of the week.

You won't find many people on this board that defender the twins as much as I did, but we all know what they are. Solid college players with limited skillsets, and the ability to possibly turn into something more at some point. That point isn't now though, and it wasn't to that point over the course of those previous 2 years. Let me make a few points though.
1) The twins were good for the most part because they had a ton of very good help around them. There is a very good reason that their stock fell, and it's the very reason that the teams they led could not seal the deal.
2) They were starting guards on a runner-up team. Cal couldn't just bench them, especially after selling the platoon junk for so long. Let's not act like they got exponentially more minutes. Their increase in minutes came at the 2 and 3 guard position while Ulis was on the floor also. Ulis won't get that kind of minutes because he's limited to one position, but it was visible how much smoother the offense ran with Ulis at the point. When Andrew ran the offense, it had tendencies to stand around and go stagnant.
3) Being a highly regarded high school recruit does not translate to being the better college player. There were several guards who were better college players that weren't ranked close to the Harrison twins coming out of high school. They had potential to be better than the others, but they didn't produce to the expectations given to them (and unfairly so, they were expected to be on the level of John Wall and Eric Bledsoe), barring the post-season.
4) Nobody said exponentially better. I'm simply saying more efficient at the college level, which is hardly farfetched.

 

[Rhavicc]

There is no way this year's team is close to last year's team right now on paper. Just stop with that. I think by March they will be in the thick of things, and that is all that matters, but come on now

And once again, I want you to read what I am saying. This team will not have the record that last year's team because of depth. This year's starting 5 will be better than last year's though, which puts us in a position to win the title. I still think this is at least 4-6 loss team.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

And once again, I want you to read what I am saying. This team will not have the record that last year's team because of depth. This year's starting 5 will be better than last year's though, which puts us in a position to win the title. I still think this is at least 4-6 loss team.

I don't see it. I respect your opinion, but agree to disagree.

 

[Rhavicc]

I don't see it. I respect your opinion, but agree to disagree.

That's fine, to each his own. We'll re-visit this topic at some point regardless though.

 

[Hoskins91]

Towns would have averaged around 15 and 10 if he played 30 minutes a game. I hope Skal can do that, but I feel like that's setting the bar high.

Ulis will do fine at pg, but I feel like if he were obviously better than Andrew it would have been reflected in playing time last year. He'll improve, we will see how much.

Poythress will be solid.

I'll be content if Briscoe is just solid.

Who our third perimeter player will be is the biggest concern, since we don't appear to have a great selection to choose from.

 

[Bombur]

To answer your question, no I don't expect that will happen.

By the way, I have no problem with UNC fans posting here, but I think they should all answer a question: Did you, like Rashad McCants, ever make the Dean's List with all As while never attending a class or writing a paper? If so, do you feel that cheapens your degree, not to mention the 2005 banner?

Sucks that you felt the need to take the thread off topic like that. But in reference to your question, I take it you are unaware that McCants was proven to be a liar during the Wainstein investigation.... Which is why he refused to cooperate with Wainstein and is also refusing to be interviewed by the NCAA. It is easy to make claims to the media when you are desperate for money and attention. But it says a lot about one's character when they repeatedly tell lies and then run and hide when they get caught. The interesting thing about Mccants is that he got a lot of rival fans excited that unc's men's bball team would be severely punished based on his claims. But with McCants being proven a liar, and refusing to cooperate with the NCAA, that means both of the people accusing UNC mens bball are now refusing to help the NCAA with their investigation (Mary Willingham has also refused.). So now you have a ton of sports fans expecting a NCAA result based on what MCCants and Willingham have said to the press, but the NCAA investigation is proceeding without either person participating and is focusing on academics, football, and women's basketball.


Now I may be in the minority, but perhaps we could get back to discussing the actual topic of the thread instead of allowing your personal insecurities about UNC to ruin it?

 

[thepip]

PG: Advantage Ulis. He's just a better PG than Andrew. Better shooter. Better passer. Andrew was the bigger, more physical guy. I'll take Ulis.

SG: Advantage Briscoe. Aaron seriously struggled offensively last season. He wasn't an elite defender at all. Briscoe just looks like a better player to me.

SF: Advantage 2014. If it's Mulder, UK will have three guys that can bury treys on the floor. Lyles was an absolute stud though. Dude would have been the best player in college basketball this coming season, IMO. I think the difference between Mulder/Lyles is substantial. If the SF is Poythress, the edge still goes to '14, but the gap isn't as wide.

PF: Slight edge 2014. WCS vs. Poythress. Alex is a tremendous athlete with a better offensive game than WCS. Cauley-Stein was a guy that kind of changed the game on the defensive end, even though he went missing in action against Wisconsin. Both are freakish athletes.

C: Advantage 2014. I'm not giving anyone an edge over Towns (LOL), but Skal is going to be unbelievable. I mean, we're probably talking about the next two #1 draft picks. I think there will be more pressure on Skal. There's nowhere near as much depth behind him as Towns had, so he'll need to stay out of foul trouble.

Another starting lineup possibility;
1. Ulis
2. Briscoe
3. Poythress
4. Lee
5. Skal

I think that lineup would be better defensively than the one with Mulder. Obviously, you'd have more size and athleticism. Hell, this might be the most likely lineup. Who knows.

GBB!!!

 

[thepip]

Lineups at this time are just fun stuff without real substance. We don't know who will be added and how these players will mesh with each other. Cal will experiment and tinker with this lineup probably into the first part of the season and maybe beyond. I think this will be an exciting season and most will be pleased. There are always things to complain about but look who is coaching and look at the experience of this staff. We be a blessed fanbase!

 

[rabidcatfan]

LOL, I can't agree with all of those comparisons.

I'd say this -

PG Ulis > Andrew - Andrew was big and could slash into the lane and draw fouls. If Tyler does this he's just going to get blocked, but Ulis is the better passer, better ball-handler, is quicker, and is a better shooter. Ulis is a true point guard, which Andrew was not.

SG - Briscoe > Aaron - I only give Briscoe the slight edge because he's a better shooter than Aaron was. Plus he's quicker and can handle the ball. The only things Aaron has on Isaiah is height and experience. The added inch and a half allowed Aaron to get shots off over bigger defenders plus his experience form 2013-2014 helped him round out his game some.

SF - Matthews/Mulder < Lyles - Definitely less talented than Lyles. There's no question here.

PF - Poythress < WCS - Sorry, but Willie was a defensive monster and his combination of height, speed, and ability to defend every position made him a match-up nightmare. Both players are equal offensively in my opinion, but the intangibles made Willie better.

C - Skal = Towns - Sorry, but you're talking about possible back to back #1 picks. I'm not saying one is better than the other. Both are/were freshman so there isn't an experience factor at play. What Skal brings to the table is better than Towns, but what Towns brings to the table is better than Skal. Skal is the better scorer and athlete. Towns is the better post presence and defender. Both are super-skilled seven-footers, but both are different types of player.

2015-16 Bench <<<<<<<< 2014-15 Bench - this isn't even up for debate, although I think, generally speaking, super deep benches aren't always ideal because of players going out hot coming in cold.

2014-15 is the better team, but that doesn't mean 15-16 can't be a great team. 15-16 will have a much improved backcourt in my opinion and they have the pieces to make a deep March run if the team gels and everyone contributes like I think they can.

 

[throatpoker]

40-0, done deal

 

[johnnyrockets]

And for people saying that Briscoe/Ulis will be better than the twins.
1) The twins were always really good (for the most part) in the tournament and helped us to 2 final fours
2) Theres a reason the twins started and played more minutes than Ulis. It'll be interesting to see how Ulis does "full time". I don't think itll be an issue, but something to watch for.
3) When the twins came to UK, they were highly esteemed (rightfully so). People that are saying that an incoming JUCO recruit (who I love btw, despite people on here thinking we "settled" for him) and another recruit will be exponentially better than the twins are a little crazy.

In summary, the twins were great for us. 2 final fours in 2 years? Ill take that any day of the week.

I know what I watched last year, and I think Ulis is definitely an upgrade over Andrew. Briscoe is an unknown but it's not ridiculous to hope that he's at least as good a player as Aaron. The twins may have helped us to two final fours, but they did so with some of the best front courts we have seen in recent years at UK. The reason they started this season was because they were more experienced and Cal couldn't run the risk of upheaval if he benched them. Aaron Harrison absolutely hit two of the biggest shots in UK history. He was also a career 33.5% three point shooter. 33.5%. We can't expect Briscoe to hit at least 34%? Really?

The Harrisons were mentally tough for the most part, but seriously: give me one objective facet of the game in which Andrew was better than Ulis last year (other than size, which I grant matters). Shooting? Ball handling? Passing? Defense? I will say that Aaron was probably a better defender than Booker, but that's not a super high bar. Otherwise, Booker was a much, much better player (which is reflected in draft projections). Furthermore, for all their reputation as "stone cold killers," they were responsible for some of the worst possessions in recent memory at the end of the Wisconsin game.

Guys, there's a reason nobody in the NBA seems to be very interested in them, irrespective of what the coaching staff and some in the media will try to tell you. They were above average college players, nothing more. I expect Tyler in particular to remind some fans of what a point guard looks like next year.

 

[meteordealer]

I know what I watched last year, and I think Ulis is definitely an upgrade over Andrew. Briscoe is an unknown but it's not ridiculous to hope that he's at least as good a player as Aaron. The twins may have helped us to two final fours, but they did so with some of the best front courts we have seen in recent years at UK. The reason they started this season was because they were more experienced and Cal couldn't run the risk of upheaval if he benched them. Aaron Harrison absolutely hit two of the biggest shots in UK history. He was also a career 33.5% three point shooter. 33.5%. We can't expect Briscoe to hit at least 34%? Really?

The Harrisons were mentally tough for the most part, but seriously: give me one objective facet of the game in which Andrew was better than Ulis last year (other than size, which I grant matters). Shooting? Ball handling? Passing? Defense? I will say that Aaron was probably a better defender than Booker, but that's not a super high bar. Otherwise, Booker was a much, much better player (which is reflected in draft projections). Furthermore, for all their reputation as "stone cold killers," they were responsible for some of the worst possessions in recent memory at the end of the Wisconsin game.

Guys, there's a reason nobody in the NBA seems to be very interested in them, irrespective of what the coaching staff and some in the media will try to tell you. They were above average college players, nothing more. I expect Tyler in particular to remind some fans of what a point guard looks like next year.

Driving to the rim and scoring.

 

[Rhavicc]

Driving to the rim and scoring.

Obviously, but let's not act like Ulis didn't get into the lane and hit a ton of floaters. He doesn't play physical because his body doesn't permit it.
That said, it's obvious who the better floor general was.
Ulis made a ton of passes that Andrew couldn't make, he always kept the offense moving, whereas Andrew would let it stand still pretty often, he was the more accurate shooter in every regard, he's the better man defender, he's the better help defender, he's the better ball handler, he's simply put, a better point guard. And that's fine, Andrew was a good scoring guard (but only when he played aggressive). He just isn't as good as Ulis at running a team, and that's fine. Still a solid player.

 

[lwbb]

I expect a similar type of production from Poythress that we expected out of WCS. There are things that Poy can do that WCS never could, and vice versa. Poy cannot make himself 4 inches and block shots at the level that WCS could. WCS was never able to fight through contact for a tough rebound, or a tough putback. Never really able to overpower opponents on his way to the basket for dunks on a consistent basis. Both can provide similar perimeter defense, both can steal the ball well, both can make run-down blocks. The only thing is that Poy can provide more on offense, and on defensive rebounding than WCS. I've preached constantly, if we have Poy vs Wisconsin, we would have won, so I have no doubt that we'll win plenty of games with him.

Never really able to over power opponents on his way to the basket for dunks... WCS dunked on more players with force than any player i can remember

 

[O C-A-T-S 06]

SG/SF. Mulder > Booker/Lyles (Just a much better shooter. He gets in there and is a tough rebounder too on both ends. Real inside/out player that can spread the floor much better for UK on offense, more athletic than any guard that UK had last season, and can make big athletic plays that we thrive off of).

This is about one of the dumbest things I've ever read in my life. You are telling me that a juco transfer (not even the top ranked one in the country) is going to be more valuable on offense than Lyles or Booker. Complete and utter nonsense. Not to mention if UK adds anyone else whether its Murray reclassifying or Vick or another surprise Mulders minutes will decline dramatically. Better shooter than Booker? Give me a break. It's a lot easier to shoot against JUCO competition with a gym of 2,000 people.

 

[Hoskins91]

Driving to the rim and scoring.

The thing is neither of the twins were very good at that. Ulis will never be a great finisher around the basket because of his size, but he is already a much better shooter. If he rounds out his midrange game, he'll be just as effective as Andrew ever was.

 

[Rhavicc]

Never really able to over power opponents on his way to the basket for dunks... WCS dunked on more players with force than any player i can remember

But he wasn't able to do it consistently. Poythress seemingly levitates to the rim for dunks (not huge slams) on a relatively consistent basis.

 

[Hoskins91]

Never really able to over power opponents on his way to the basket for dunks... WCS dunked on more players with force than any player i can remember

He was not powering through people though. Those were late rotations where it was too late for the guy to do anything anyway. He wasn't shaqing people.

 

[Rhavicc]

This is about one of the dumbest things I've ever read in my life. You are telling me that a juco transfer (not even the top ranked one in the country) is going to be more valuable on offense than Lyles or Booker. Complete and utter nonsense. Not to mention if UK adds anyone else whether its Murray reclassifying or Vick or another surprise Mulders minutes will decline dramatically. Better shooter than Booker? Give me a break. It's a lot easier to shoot against JUCO competition with a gym of 2,000 people.

It's a prediction based off of stats, and eye test. He has speed and athleticism that Booker and Lyles couldn't match, and stats show that he's a much better shooter, and once again before anybody says that he shot in JUCO, the 3 point line is the same distance, and you can count on one hand how many times Booker took a contested 3. Mulder has taken more, and made a higher percentage.
I get the skepticism because those 2 are going to the NBA, but let's be real, we always down the incoming players, saying that there's no way that they could be better than their predecessors who just left for the NBA.

 

[fla.cat]

Poythress is coming off knee surgery. We don't know how well he'll recover.


FINALLY, what IMO is the most important unknown. Will Poy be close to his former self? Will he be able to jump, run, and play pretty damn good defense? Will he be fearless and rebound and put back missed shots?

 

[Rhavicc]

Poythress is coming off knee surgery. We don't know how well he'll recover.


FINALLY, what IMO is the most important unknown. Will Poy be close to his former self? Will he be able to jump, run, and play pretty damn good defense? Will he be fearless and rebound and put back missed shots?

I think so, he was even dunking like the Poythress we knew in practice in late January. I think he'll be just fine.

 

[brianpoe]

SG/SF. Mulder > Booker/Lyles (Just a much better shooter. He gets in there and is a tough rebounder too on both ends. Real inside/out player that can spread the floor much better for UK on offense, more athletic than any guard that UK had last season, and can make big athletic plays that we thrive off of).


This one line ruins all credibility for me.

A juco we have never seen play a full game much less a high level D1 game

is better than...

2 projected lottery picks who beat Kansas, UNC, UCLA, swept the SEC, won the SEC tournament and played in a final four game losing only once....

Many people on here are counting the kid as a bench player and role provider, some have him starting, according to you he should put his name in this year's draft.

Before we ever play a game.


I appreciate the effort and find many things I agree with but this comparison...i can't get on board with. You are on your own Capitain..

 

[3rex]

Bear a few things in mind, Jon. How often did Booker take contested threes? You can truly count it on one hand. A JUCO defender is harder to shoot over than no defender at all any way you put it. That was the case with any shooters really. We move the ball until we get open shooters, it's always been that way. With his speed and athleticism (Which is the best of any guard we've had in a couple of years, if not longer), I expect him to be able to get open more than either Booker or Harrison. Especially Lyles.
I will certainly agree that Booker was better when he got closer to the basket, but I think we'll be pleasantly surprised with Mulder all around. I think he just has more tools to work with, and he's at least better than Booker with the one thing we intended to replace Booker with, which is 3 point shooting

3 point shooting translates better from JUCO to D1 than it does from high school to D1 because the line is just as far back in D1 as it is in JUCO.
I don't see us taking contested threes unless it's necessary, so I expect at least 44% from 3 out of Mulder..

How often did Mulder take contested 3s?

 

[ukcatsfan2]

So, seeing how this year's team has superior players, when can we expect the 40-0 talk?

i think we found the turd in the punchbowl.....

 

[ciphercomplete]

Next years team will be very good it just won't have the grand canyon sized margin for error this team had. On the flipside, there seems to be less great teams next year than there were this year. We may have a easier shot at a title. Looks like its us and duke and no one else really.

 

[jrpross]

There are a lot of factors about this team that remain to be seen.

Poythress: as a senior, should be much more physically and mentally mature than when he came. Can he be a leader of the team in effort and drive? If so he will set the pace for the rest of the guys who look up to him. This, of course, is assuming the knee is at 100%.

Skal: Very skilled offensively but will he be able to effectively guard bigger bulkier guys down low? It remains to be seen BUT remember, he is about the same size Anthony Davis was and that certainly wasn't an issue with him.

Briscoe: very talented and I love the confidence he exudes but will it translate to unselfish play or will he be an Archie Goodwin type player?

Mulder: as a juco, he's the biggest question for most of us. We all have opinions on how much he'll contribute. On paper he looks like a solid contributor; long, athletic, 46% from 3. But how will he transition to a much tougher playing field? Darnell Dodson seemed to fit that description too.

All these things are issues but this team has a high ceiling. I think MOST of the big questions will work themselves out. Tyler is seriously one of my favorite point guards ever. Some of the passes he made as a freshman were eye popping and he will be able to create a lot of points for his teammates. As is, I do think this team could compete for a national championship. But with respect to the OP, there is now way it's superior to last year's team. They will lose some games. But I am nowhere near as concerned about them as I was about the 12-13 team before their season. And despite the finish, they did pretty well before Noel went down.

My official 2016 prediction: 29-8, elite 8. But I absolutely would not be surprised if they bested my prediction.

 

[brianpoe]

Next years team will be very good it just won't have the grand canyon sized margin for error this team had. On the flipside, there seems to be less great teams next year than there were this year. We may have a easier shot at a title. Looks like its us and duke and no one else really.

Kansas, UNC, and UVA may all be ranked higher than Duke (and possibly us).

 

[3rex]

It's a prediction based off of stats, and eye test. He has speed and athleticism that Booker and Lyles couldn't match, and stats show that he's a much better shooter, and once again before anybody says that he shot in JUCO, the 3 point line is the same distance, and you can count on one hand how many times Booker took a contested 3. Mulder has taken more, and made a higher percentage.
I get the skepticism because those 2 are going to the NBA, but let's be real, we always down the incoming players, saying that there's no way that they could be better than their predecessors who just left for the NBA.

You keep acting like Mulder took all of these contested 3's. And so again I ask, how many contested 3's did he take??

 

[Rhavicc]

You keep acting like Mulder took all of these contested 3's. And so again I ask, how many contested 3's did he take??

You gonna wait for me to get back online to actually read your post, or are you gonna ask 5 more times before I post again? Not too sure, but that's not entirely the point. We visibly seen Booker take less than a handful of contested threes, out of the 58 that he made (which was good for 41% from the 3 point line, which is exactly the same distance as the JUCO line). Mulder made around 30 more of them than Booker did, and shot for 46% on the season.
So riddle me this. If both are wide open from a 3 point line that is the exact same distance, and Mulder makes 5% more shots than Booker from deep on the season, how is he not the better 3 point shooter?

 

[Rhavicc]

Also, I didn't act like Mulder took all these contested threes, I said Booker took a ton of open threes, which can just as easily translate to Mulder taking those open threes. Booker has beautiful shooting mechanics, which probably plays a role in why he'll be drafted so high, and he already has a solid shot. Add that in with his size, and him playing for Kentucky, it's not hard to see why he'll go quickly, but let's not act like there wasn't a better shooter in the country. There are better shooters in high school, and there are better shooters playing in those euro teams like the one UK crushed. I see Mulder as a better shooter based on what I seen, which was Booker hitting 41% of his threes which were widely uncontested, and Mulder at least hitting 46% at a higher volume.

 

[Rhavicc]

Kansas, UNC, and UVA may all be ranked higher than Duke (and possibly us).

I just don't see UVA getting ranked that high. I mean, why would they? We all seen what happened to UVA after Anderson. If they lost Darrion (sp?) Atkins during that time as well, they would have dropped even more games. Now Atkins and Anderson are both gone. That's a lot of defense, and even more offense.