A lot of pessimism about next year's team, I feel like it may be unwarranted. People act like next year's team lacks talent, so maybe this will change some peoples' perspectives on that.
Alex Poythress is the highest ranking PF from the 2012 recruiting class remaining in college.
Marcus Lee is the 2nd highest ranked PF from the 2013 recruiting class remaining in college.
Tyler Ulis is the highest ranked PG from the 2014 recruiting class remaining in college.
We have the top player in the class, who is the #1 center/#1 draft prospect coming in.
We have the #1 ranked PG in the class coming in.
Charles Matthews used to be a top 15 player in the class before his injury
Mychal Mulder is an incredibly unique blend of length, athleticism, and skill.
I know that some will still be pessimistic after this, and understandably so, with the spring that we had, but this team can and will compete. That's why they're going to be ranked top 5, and that's why they're the current co-favorites to win the national title next season.
Alex Poythress is the highest ranking PF from the 2012 recruiting class remaining in college.
- Last season, before his injury, he held his man to 12.8% FG% defensively.
Per 40 minutes, without doing the math, he would average roughly 10.8 ppg, and 7.4 rpg. Good production from the 4, especially considering how good he is defensively.
Offensively and defensively alike, I viewed Poythress as UK's best transition player. Whether it would be finishing over the top, or finishing through contact offensively, or making run-down blocks defensively, he was always terrific in transition.
Marcus Lee is the 2nd highest ranked PF from the 2013 recruiting class remaining in college.
- Isaiah Hicks from UNC*** is the highest rated remaining PF of that class.
Marcus Lee has always stepped up for us when WCS was unable to. Obviously keeping WCS off the floor was a task in his junior season due to his defensive ability, but Marcus Lee has always had as much, if not more potential that WCS due to just being a more energizing presence, as well as being a terrific passer, on top of having similar athleticism.
Lee has made it well known that he's been in the gym constantly since the final four loss, and knows he has to step up next season. I'm confident that he'll do just that.
Also another terrific player in transition. Very fast, very long with an insane vertical, and he always attacks the rim hard.
Very possible that he is the best offensive rebounder, and overall rebounder on the team next season. Potential to be one of the elite offensive rebounders in the country because of his length, athleticism, and obvious nose for the ball that we've all seen.
Tyler Ulis is the highest ranked PG from the 2014 recruiting class remaining in college.
- We all caught a glimpse of his ability. He has a knack for seeing plays 2-3 passes before they ever happen. He has uncanny court vision that most college guards never get, and some NBA guards don't even have.
Outstanding shooter and scoring ability. Notice, I said ability. Whether or not Calipari tells him to pull the trigger more often is yet to be seen, but while he was playing on the D1 EYBL circuit (which is full of players who move on to play division 1 basketball in college), in 15 games, he averaged 13.7 ppg, 5.9 apg, 3.4 rpg, and 2.1 steals per game. Highest scoring game was 31 points.
It's not farfetched to think that we could see remotely similar numbers if Calipari tells him to pull the trigger more often next season. The kid shoots the ball well and has a very diverse skill-set offensively.
Last season, his assist-turnover ratio was 3.55, good for 3rd in the NCAA. The only other freshman to get in the top 25 in that statistic was Tyus Jones, who came away with an assist-turnover ratio of 2.86, good for 19th in the NCAA.
Ulis forces the team to move the ball very well and play at a pace that benefits all of the athletes that UK has on the floor. Where Andrew Harrison often let the offense go stagnant and pass the ball around on the perimeter, you could always see good ball movement with Ulis on the floor due to his ability to utilize dribble penetration so well.
We have the top player in the class, who is the #1 center/#1 draft prospect coming in.
- At 7'0 tall, with a 7'1 wingspan, Labissiere and his superb athleticism has a lot of potential in itself. He has tremendous lateral quickness, which would immediately draw comparisons to WCS at least, but his offensive arsenal, defensive skills, and basketball IQ has drawn more comparisons to AD at the same point.
On the All-American circuit, he's been phenomenal. Games like 21 points, 9 rebounds, 6 blocks, or 16 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks, and even 12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks. Skal has shown that he can do it all, and I wouldn't be shocked if he was the best player on the court in every game next year.
He always knows how to be involved.Despite not having outstanding rebounding form, he pulls down a lot of them. Even against other All-Americans. Once he gets to Kentucky and starts getting both hands on the ball, and rounding out a few little things, he's going to be a force.
It's been a bit since we've had a 5 man who can run the floor and do all of the things that Skal can do. It opens up and entirely different game when you have a center with his versatility. 2012 is a good example of that.
We have the #1 ranked PG in the class coming in.
- It never hurts to have a SG with PG skills and elite PG ball handling abilities. It helps a lot that he's 6'4, 220#, and serves as more of a scoring point guard. That should go very well with Ulis as our main facilitator. Better ball movement, better ball handling.
He's a very intense and competitive player that will play as hard as he can every time on the court. That kind of intensity from your backcourt will win you a lot of games.
Apparently his 3 point shooting is improving, because he locked up that 3 point shooting contest in dramatic fashion. I figured that to be his one weakness (Only shooting it about 36% in high school) but he has shown that he can hit those shots. If he nails them at 37, maybe 38% at least, life will be that much harder for opposing teams.
Charles Matthews used to be a top 15 player in the class before his injury
- What was the one thing that was missing offensively last year from the 3 position that we could have used desperately? An elite slasher. Don't get me wrong, Lyles was good, but he was only able to stretch the floor out to mid-range. He was still pretty effective if he came off the pick and pop, or was able to back down his man though.
Aaron Harrison and Devin Booker both had the ability, but rarely used it. Aaron Harrison only used that ability on the baseline. Matthews will utilize this often. He's a very strong finisher at the rim, and he is a terrific slasher that finishes with both hands. He catches lobs, he can serve as a 2 way guard, and he's incredibly athletic. It opens up the offense in ways that we seen in 2012, and 2014.
He's an outstanding defender. He has the ability to lock somebody up on the perimeter, but shows off his ability to make blocks in both the half-court, as well as transition. He can also steal the ball from the guards, which is a huge plus at the 3.
More ball handlers, more versatility, and more chemistry. He and Ulis were teammates on the AAU circuit for the Chicago Meanstreets, which produced both Anthony Davis, as well as Tyler Ulis. Good lineage.
Mychal Mulder is an incredibly unique blend of length, athleticism, and skill.
- Seriously, I know some aren't high on him, but take these things into account. He's 6'5, with a 6'10 wingspan, he has a 40+ inch vertical, and shoots 46% from deep. He blocks shots, he rebounds really well for a guard, he steals the ball. He can shoot off the pick and pop, he has very nice touch on the mid-range floater, and he gets points off of put-backs. He'll play in the NBA, and there's a good chance he goes in the lottery.
Look past his terrific stats and freakish measurables, and you still have the kind of player that you need to win. He brings energy, determination, and he wants to be great. On top of that, he brings veteran leadership from a winning team, and has actually played against some of the other elites in AAU ball. He knows what it takes to be great.
If you kept track of his latest JUCO All-American game, he played terrific. Scored 15 points, got about 6 or 7 rebounds, shot the 3 at 42%. That's against the most talented JUCO players, all of whom can, and will (if they so choose) play for mostly any D1 school in the NCAA.
I know that some will still be pessimistic after this, and understandably so, with the spring that we had, but this team can and will compete. That's why they're going to be ranked top 5, and that's why they're the current co-favorites to win the national title next season.
Last edited: