First Practice Report of the Season from CoachCal.com

[KA4Prez]

People shouldn't expect Poythress to be 100% early on, if at all. It doesn't mean he can't provide everything we expect, but people are tend to generalize and look past ACL injuries now. There are many examples where a miraculous recovery happens. There are other examples where the injury causes a permanent loss of contribution. What used to be a devastating injury, has no been taken as commonplace. It's still an extremely variable thing.

 

[KDcats11]

No, I'd say we don't know most of those things. If he could do those things he would have gotten more playing time up to this point and he'd be the favorite to start this year over Poythress, who can't do half the things you mentioned either. At this point, he's a non-factor on offense whose defense isn't worth playing him big minutes. Hopefully he improves, but we've yet to see it.

He hasn't been worth playing those minutes because of the incredible depth in front of him in his first two years. Randle, WCS, Johnson, and Poythress his first year and Towns, WCS, Johnson, and Lyle's his second year. Is he going to light the world on fire? No, but that's not his role, and with expanded minutes you will see an expanded game just like with any other player coming into a bigger role.

 

[KnowsAllTellsAll]

Self closed practices after his first year at Kansas because of people criticizing certain players in public forums. You are spoiled that Calipari holds open practices.

 

[SosaUK]

No, I'd say we don't know most of those things. If he could do those things he would have gotten more playing time up to this point and he'd be the favorite to start this year over Poythress, who can't do half the things you mentioned either. At this point, he's a non-factor on offense whose defense isn't worth playing him big minutes. Hopefully he improves, but we've yet to see it.

This. Don't know which Marcus Lee he has been watching.

 

[ScrapIrony]

If Lee improves only a little, he still provides value on this team. Especially early. LaBassiere is going to likely struggle against the top teams in terms of rebounding and positioning, two areas in which almost all freshmen do. Kentucky is likely, at least early, to go with three guards. That leaves Lee as the resident rebounder.

He can do that. If you take his career rebound rate percentage of both offensive and defensive boards, bump it slightly due to experience and strength, he'd rank somewhere around Bobby Portis' 8.7 over 32 minutes.

That's not dominant, but it'll certainly play.

Offensively, obviously, he has a long way to go. I'd settle for hitting free throws at a 60% rate. If he can do that, he'll be serviceable. It's not out of the realm of possibility to see him earn a few double-doubles this season, particularly early.

As a fifth option on offense, he's fine. Or at least he might be.

 

[JonathanW]

Last year's team was arguably the best frontcourt ever at UK (at least until Poy got hurt).
This year's team I think may be the best backcourt ever at UK.

 

[Orange Soda King]

Lee will see increased time this year. He's a good and coachable kid, hopefully his experience and hard work pay off.

 

[kentucky_wildcat_#1]

Lee will see more minutes this year and with him sticking around, he deserves more minutes and a bigger role on the team. No, I don't mean for not declaring for the NBA. Lee obviously aint good enough to do that. I'm talking about not transferring out when it looked like we were recruiting better players at his spot every year. It's his turn to shine and I believe after 3 years in the program, he's ready to show the nation why he was rated so high coming out of highschool. With his hops, if he ever gets it and let's the game slow down for him a lil, he will be looking like a first rounder this coming draft. Let's all hope so.