Diallo doesn't need guarantee of first round pick to remain in draft
- Thread starter kydmb99
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I might be happier if he doesn't come back just so I don't have to see people calling him Hami.
If he has a hamstring injury, would it be Hami pulling a hammy? Sounds dirty.
This will all blow over in a few weeks when Diallo comes back, and we get both Bamba and Johnson lol
??? Every college basketball program loses players every year. I'm not sure our fans really see what we already have with Green, SGA, Baker, Vanderbilt, Washington, Richards, Gabriel, Wynyard, SKJ. These are very good players, and they will get better. Our current core of 9 players is a top 10 team, if everyone stays healthy. If Diallo comes back, or if they add Johnson or Bamba, then we will be even better still. Either way, this will be Calipari's youngest team. So the improvement from November to March will be major.
Every team loses players, nobody to near the degree we do. Surely you understand that.
I disagree that the players you listed alone is a top 10 team.
We absolutely have to either have Diallo return or sign Johnson.
Now, Bamba is not as important, but given the 2 centers in the list you listed consists of a really raw incoming freshman who has only played basketball for a few years and a kid who didn't step on the floor for the last 2 months of the season, it would be nice to add another body to the mix.
Surely, I do understand that. And surely you understand that Calipari signs the nation's #1 or #2 recruiting class every year. I would like to get Diallo back, and suspect it will probably happen. Either way, you and others seem to underestimate the 9 players we have, with or without Diallo. It has been interesting to watch how quickly some fans gave up on Gabriel and SKJ as freshmen, but both have elite athletic tools and can become contributory players with some defensive improvement. Wynyard has not yet shown offensive skills, but is already a strong rebounder and serviceable defender. The 6 new freshmen are very good players, which is why Kentucky has the nation's #1 recruiting class (again). Vanderbilt and Washington are electric, Richards and SGA are underrated. This is a top 10 team. Anymore additions add to the wealth. Diallo would give us another major weapon. I am not optimistic about Bamba, but he would make us a top NC contender if Calipari can sign him.
We signed the top class in 2013 after losing everyone and we ended up in the NIT. And we still sucked with Noel in the lineup.
If Jackson doesn't come back, Duke will this year. They would be losing 7 of their top 8 guys from this season.
Your negativity is exhausting. We did not suck before Noel's injury. We were 17-6 and coming off 5 wins in a row.
Here's an interesting fact that all the Chicken Little's are ignoring.
RSCI top 20 (plus 2) for 2016, current status.
1. Josh Jackson- gone
2. Harry Giles- gone
3. Lonzo Ball- gone
4. Jayson Tatum- gone
5. Markelle Fultz- gone
6. De'Aaron Fox- gone
7. Jonathan Isaac- gone
8. Bam Adebayo- gone
9. Malik Monk- gone
10. Miles Bridges- returning
11. Marques Bolden- returning
12. Terrence Ferguson- never made it, in draft now
13. Wenyen Gabriel- returning
14. Frank Jackson- likely gone
15. Jarrett Allen- gone
16. TJ Leaf- gone
17. Omari Spellman- hasn't played yet
18. Mustapha Heron- returning
19. Tony Bradley- uncertain
20. Josh Langford- returning
21. Rawle Alkins- uncertain
21. Sacha Killeya- Jones- returning.
So, of the 7 guys on that list that at are definitely (as far as you can take that word in April) returning, UK has 2, including the 3rd highest rated player who is coming back. And yes, unlike UK, the teams those other guys are returning to aren't losing everyone, but they also didn't sign 5-7 five star recruits in the 2017 class.
Diallo staying is important, and if he leaves, replacing him with Johnson should be a huge priority. But regardless, next year's roster isn't going to be any kind of fiasco. And Diallo + Bamba probably = top 3 preseason team.
I honestly think that a Vanderbilt/Washington combo is going to be the best pair of forwards UK has had since MKG and Terrence Jones. I think people have kind of forgotten what it's like to have those kind of players, because the one area UK has been lacking the last 5 years is forward. Too many one-dimensional guys, a lot of 3 guard lineups, or 2 center lineups, or lineups where someone who really should be a 4 is playing the 3. Vanderbilt and Washington are really just forwards, period, because they have a wide range of skills with the physical ability to play inside or out.
The back court is going to be a question mark, even if Diallo stays.
And even without Noel, beat a Florida team that went on to be a 3 seed that made the Regional Final. And early in the year, gave future champ UL a tough game on the road, and hung tight with a Duke team that ended up losing in the Elite 8 to UL.
Sweet 16 seems like the ceiling for that team in retrospect, but no one was going to want to draw them if Noel had stayed healthy.
But as a whole, this class is not as strong as a lot of the past classes. We may have the #1 class coming in but in a down class, it definitely doesn't guarantee a great team. I don't think the team as it stands is a Top 10 team. We need to get a couple of those players still out there. Just the additions of Bamba and Johnson greatly change the projection of next year's team. Nobody knows what SKJ will bring but I completely understand why people are hesitant about him considering Brad logged more mins than he did. There was a big issue with him last year and while we don't know what it is, I bet that it was a lot more than just needing some defensive improvement. Same for Wenyen, he's got a lot more improving to do on a lot of aspects before he can become a great player, a lot more than just defensively too. As we sit now, I think they're a tournament team but I wouldn't be expecting much more from them. The additions of Diallo, Johnson, and Bamba change them into a title contender if you ask me. That gives them star power with a bunch of really good players to fill various roles. I like that team, not so much as we sit at the moment though.
It's not negativity. It's called reality. We weren't very good at all. We were down double digits to Florida with 8 minutes to go when he went down so that would be seven losses with him by Feb 12. We went 4-3 for the rest of the regular season then lost conference tournament game by 16 and then NIT. We didn't beat anyone noteworthy with Noel.
Take off the blinders and try to be objective and realize we were not good that year.
That team was 16th in Kenpom just before the Noel injury. They were also top 25 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Our point guard situation made us more susceptible to an early out than typical Cal teams, but Noel put us in the running for a surprise Elite 8 with the right draw.
Mustn't forget that college basketball as a whole was down that season. That team with Nerlens had the chops to beat anyone on the right night.
So we were better without Noel since we lost to them with him in the lineup?
Florida got to the regional final by playing a 14, 11 and a 15 seed to get to the Elite 8.
And if losing one player can cause you to lose that many games including to Vanderbilt and Robert Morrris then we weren't good.
What in the world is this based on because it sure isn't reality. Who did we beat that year to make you so confident? Who did we BEAT? Not moral victories by losing close games.
If your team can lose to Robert Morris and fet blown out by Vanderbilt while just missing one defensive presence then you're not a very good team.
Is it really that hard to acknowledge we weren't good?
Or gee, maybe there's a difference between an away game and a home game?
But by all means, continue to show your ass. It's pretty entertaining when the special ed segment of (alleged) fans have some kind of goofball sky is falling meltdown.
Accurately saying a freshmen dominated team that went to the NIT as "not very good" is a meltdown and indicitive of being "mentally challenged" and "showing my ass?"
Or maybe you all being so delusional about the realty of the talent for a specific team is nothing short of cult-like and hero worship.
That team didn't beat anyone noteworthy that season, got thrashed in the conference tournament by a 16-17 Vanderbilt team and then lost to Robert Morris in the NIT. You're right. We were totally an Elite 8 or Final Four team. Ha
Uhh, I'd say it's based on actual KenPom ratings.
And the fact that the team had won 5 games in a row before the UF (away) game/Noel injury.
And then there are the examples of 2011, and 2014, and (sort of), this past year, when UK teams that didn't look like world-beaters on February were able to make significant runs in March.
But by all means, continue to put the most negative possible spin on that year, and while you're at it, get your bell and go running down the street declaring that we're all doomed. I'd suggest you take your clothes off while you do it, as that will draw the maximum attention to the oncoming apocalypse.
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Yeah, and that had nothing to do with losing the team's best player. Because, you know, he was just a defensive presence.
And, Mr. Apocalypse, I haven't seen anyone call 12-13 a FF team. I have seen people say that team had some hope to make a mini-run in the Tournament, hope which died when Noel blew out his knee. So sorry that offends your precious sense of doom and gloom.
Yes because Kenpom rankings are the true test of a season and not the scoreboard or your record. Who did we beat OOC that was so awesome?
I'm sorry it hurts your feelings to say that an NIT team was not good. We won't be as bad as that team next season but you acting like we were on the brink of a break through is absurd...absurd.
You take the negative spin, just own it. 17-6 playing in the SEC and a good OOC schedule is not "sucking".
This is based on going to the Wayback machine and viewing that we were...
A). Up to 16 in Kenpom just prior to the Noel injury.
And
B). Top 25 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Those are simply facts.
Saying that we were susceptible to an early exit because of poor pg play is my opinion.
Saying that we could have been a surprise Elite 8 team because of Nerlens Noel (arguably the best defensive center we've ever had) and the weak field is another opinion.
My opinion is based on the FACT that we were a top 16 team on paper. I figure a top 16 team should ON AVERAGE make the Sweet Sixteen.
So a team of that caliber who actually won their Sweet 16 game would be a surprise Elite 8 team.
Top 25 in February with Noel and had a decent record, so I disagree with them being a bad team with Noel. This team should be better than 2012-2013 even with Noel. This team will be similar to 2013-2014 but maybe don't expect the same tournament run. The 2014 run was a rarity as eight seeds never get that far, but that wasn't an eight seed team, they were better.
This is not about the history of Calipari - who has 1 title here, btw. This is about one pretty small thing, invlving one player and Cal's refusal to play him.
Sick and tired of the hoity toity PC nose-in-the-air KSR sunshine pumping bs. We are allowed to complain about Cal not playing an NBA caliber 2/3 man, especially when we had no 3 man. None. We played isiah Briscoe there, and we had a freak of nature 1st rd pick sitting next to fn Brad. Who was dressed and eligible to play every game. If you're trying to win titles, you might play that guy at some point in the season, especially if your peremiter D is Swiss cheese and you aren't particularly great at rebounding.
What is so wrong about discussing this *one* issue? People are psycho. Anything negative - OMG SO YOU WANNA FIRE CAL??? WHAT ABOUT HIS ONE CHAMPIONSIP HUH!!!
Agree with this whole heartedly. Cal nor any coach is above criticism. 95% of what Cal does I love and wouldn't trade him for anyone. That doesn't mean I don't think there are things he could tweak. No that doesn't mean I think I'm a better coach than Cal or
that I'm always negative. This is a message board. Some of the Cal strokers are a little over the top as are some of the Cal bashers. As to Diallo. He gone. Alexander is a better all around guard anyway. Let's get behind the guys we have here. We will be good. Maybe really good if the chemistry is there.
Has Diallo officially left UK?
Not the last I checked.
So, what, you're saying it's OK, totally justified and defensible, to have some psychotic meltdown about something that hasn't even happened yet?
The people having an aneurysm about Diallo strike me as being almost exactly the same as the people who go into game threads and have a meltdown because UK is down by 10 in the first half of a game.
Those people often end up looking like idiots. And even if the meltdown turns out to have a justification a few hours later, it's never really a good look.
A
anon_9qtxg60vqzy0y
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What if Bamba was like "I'll come to KY, but I don't want to play and hurt my draft stock, so I am just going to practice."....y'all cool with that?
Nobody's having a meltdown dude, you can stop trying to make it seem that way.
Just because there's a difference of opinion doesn't mean anyone is freaking out.
But that's not what happened so I don't know what the point of playing the what if game.
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