We are so incredibly thin on the front line if Skal gets hurt or somehow doesn't qualify it could be a brutally long season. Brutally long. I can't believe we could not land one more big man to take the pressure off......
Here is the scariest thing about our team next season
- Thread starter louisvilleblue
- Start date
Kentucky will have 3 mcd aa's in it front court next season. How many other teams out there can boast that or better? I think we are still spoiled with having so much depth this season, that was not normal by any standard.
One of the reasons I wouldn't mind seeing Florida 4-star PF Dickerson decommit. He's a big body. He'll have dozens of schools coming at him him if he goes back on the market though.
My concern is size too. It won't be an issue most of the time. I was really hoping we'd land that kind of fat bodied guy from Charlotte just for situation stuff.
It's nice having a wide body that can maintain position. I've always thought the only reason we beat Ohio st in 2011 was because Harrelson had enough girth to force Sullinger to shoot over him instead of bulldogging his way to the basket like he had all season. We need a guy like that.
It's nice having a wide body that can maintain position. I've always thought the only reason we beat Ohio st in 2011 was because Harrelson had enough girth to force Sullinger to shoot over him instead of bulldogging his way to the basket like he had all season. We need a guy like that.
Some people want to bury their head in the sand. The majority of games are won by controlling the boards. If either Skal or Poy get in foul trouble against a good team, we are in big trouble. However, I don't think the next year is set yet as I do believe there is always someone who comes out of the woodwork unexpectedly who ends up at Kentucky.
I agree with this. Which is why I think Cal's 2013 NIT season was his worst coaching job of his career.
After Nerlens went down that left us with Archie, Alex, Willie, Kyle, and Harrow. Thats 3 five-stars and 2 four-stars. Yet we lost in the first round of the NIT to Robert Morris. I just don't understand this. Yet no one wants to question Cal's ability as a coach.
My God. We have the #1 center, the #1 point guard, Ulis, Poythress and Marcus Lee...and you'd think we're starting 5 transfers from an NAIA school. You people are SPOILED.
I'm excited for next year. Ulis was held back a little last year due to slower Harrison's. With him and Briscoe, and Skal in the middle. This is going to be fun!
I'm excited for next year. Ulis was held back a little last year due to slower Harrison's. With him and Briscoe, and Skal in the middle. This is going to be fun!
If you think Ryan Harrow held the value of a 5-star recruit, it explains a lot about your views in general. Willie was a 4-star based on physical gifts, not immediate contributions, and Wiltjer realized that he wasn't a fit here.
Simply counting stars would make it sound like we were loaded with Eloy Vargas backing up the center spot.
What we really had that season was young talent playing out of position and veterans who weren't good enough to fill the role we needed.
As for this season, or any season, if the best player in the country gets hurt or can't play, that team is done. Depth doesn't replace that. We were as loaded with bigs as any team in history, but if Towns had gone down, we'd have effectively had no chance of replacing that talent and production.
Harrow and WiltJer quit on the team thus they were gone after the season. That removed two of the 5 star kids and left Cal with a walk-on (Polson) playing 31 minutes and running the team. Cauley-Stein was too green at that point, he was still known more for his football accolades than his basketball skills. When he gets drafted next month it will be because Cal developed him into a nba pick. He wasn't even good enough before coming to Kentucky to get a offer from his home state team. After that you had Poythress who didn't play to his potential and Mays who I felt killed the offense all season to go along with Goodwin who played his butt off. That team never had a leader and it showed.
Without Kanter in 2011, we don't make the Final Four.
No... wait a minute... that can't be right.
No... wait a minute... that can't be right.
Go back and read my post and show me where i said Harrow was a 5 star. Learn how to read a freaking post before you come at me and make yourself look stupid. I will go over my post again to help you.
I said "After Nerlens went down that left us with Archie, Alex, Willie, Kyle and Harrow. Thats 3 fives-stars and 2 four-stars"
Where in that section did I say Harrow was a 4-star? I never said who was what, but I will below.
Archie, Alex, and Kyle = 5 stars
Willie and Harrow= 4 stars
I don't mind people questioning my opinion, would just rather it be someone who is smart.
I like our team but I'm hoping we get Thon Maker still , .then I'll feel better about our chances and depth for next year.
Okay.
If you think Ryan Harrow held the value of a four-star recruit, then that explains a lot about your views. The same is true for Wiltjer as a five-star. Those don't transfer to Gonzaga or Georgia State and stay to be 24-year-old seniors.
Rivals actually had Harrow as a 5-star. See below
http://sports.yahoo.com/florida/basketball/recruiting/player-Ryan-Harrow-83338
Espn had Harrow as a 4-star. See below
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/66351/ryan-harrow
Kyle Wiltjer was a 5 star according to Rivals. See below
http://sports.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/basketball/recruiting/player-Kyle-Wiltjer-76342
And a 5 star according to ESPN
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/64261/kyle-wiltjer
Regardless of how they performed at UK, that was their star-rankings.
And another thing, its funny how they are so awful at UK yet manage to be dominating at their next schools. Yes Harrow is playing against lesser competition but his numbers are great and Kyle Wiltjer was at one time a player of the year candidate on a top 10 team, yet they couldn't perform at UK?
Any more questions about their star-rankings? Thanks for playing. Next…..
Do you actually think I'm unaware of what they were rated by various websites or are you missing the point on purpose?
But no, you're absolutely right. Mark Few, who can't make a Final Four even with a Top 10 team and Player of the Year candidate, and Ron Hunter are both better coaches and developers of talent than John Calipari. That's a perfectly accurate thing to weakly imply.
But no, you're absolutely right. Mark Few, who can't make a Final Four even with a Top 10 team and Player of the Year candidate, and Ron Hunter are both better coaches and developers of talent than John Calipari. That's a perfectly accurate thing to weakly imply.
I don't get the Wisconsin hangover causing this "we aren't big enough" fear. Wisconsin beat us because, in part, we were too big and not active enough, specifically as our bigs were challenged to step out and guard in space. Next years roster, with a much more athletic and active front court, should actually be a better matchup against teams like that. The whole "let's see how many 7 footers we can put on the court" thing is cool, but I think we're a little too obsessed with size at this point. Duke and Wisconsin both had one decent big man this year and played for the title. We'll be fine.
Our problem is, we are the one team that EVERY team gives their best effort against. Their fans influence spineless refs. We must have decent quality depth to overcome these things. We could have 10 five stars, but if their competitiveness isn't a 5 star it doesn't matter a lot of games.
Did you watch the team that year? Wiltjer's and Harrow's performance this past year clearly had a lot to do with the downgrade in competition. Harrow was going through some personal issues that year as well. Neither would have been big contributors for us this year. Everyone on that roster had obvious limitations and weren't ready for what was demanded of them.
going 10 deep is rare...
most years a solid 7 man rotation with talent, experience, and leadership will have you competing in march...and we have that...
AP and Tyler will be experienced leaders with enough talent of their own...Hawk and Willis will be upperclassmen with some battle experience...
Skal, Matthews, and Briscoe bring the elite talent...
if you can't win with that, you don't need to be coaching here...
anybody can get to final fours and title games with Brandon Knight, AD, Julius & crew, KAT, Lyles, etc...Ben Howland did it...
We've all seen teams with lesser talent and coaching than what we'll have next season make deep runs and even win it all...we've been bounced two years in a row by two of them...
most years a solid 7 man rotation with talent, experience, and leadership will have you competing in march...and we have that...
AP and Tyler will be experienced leaders with enough talent of their own...Hawk and Willis will be upperclassmen with some battle experience...
Skal, Matthews, and Briscoe bring the elite talent...
if you can't win with that, you don't need to be coaching here...
anybody can get to final fours and title games with Brandon Knight, AD, Julius & crew, KAT, Lyles, etc...Ben Howland did it...
We've all seen teams with lesser talent and coaching than what we'll have next season make deep runs and even win it all...we've been bounced two years in a row by two of them...
A
anon_013cn8yrfncx2
Guest
The OP was right though most had to defend their own other issues. Regardless of star rankings or actual abilities UK as presently constructed is extremely thin across the front line. It is not fine as some suggest. There will be game situations with foul trouble, maybe conditioning, that there will be little answer for. The change of the clock to 30 secs just exacerbates a depth problem. So we will be a 3 guard team almost 100% exclusively to deal with front line short-comings. We may even have to watch some film this year. Should be a fun, scrappy team but anyone thinking were ok in the front court is just whistling Dixie. And you could probably be arrested for that these days.
The OP was right though most had to defend their own other issues. Regardless of star rankings or actual abilities UK as presently constructed is extremely thin across the front line. It is not fine as some suggest. There will be game situations with foul trouble, maybe conditioning, that there will be little answer for. The change of the clock to 30 secs just exacerbates a depth problem. So we will be a 3 guard team almost 100% exclusively to deal with front line short-comings. We may even have to watch some film this year. Should be a fun, scrappy team but anyone thinking were ok in the front court is just whistling Dixie. And you could probably be arrested for that these days.
Mah gawd!!! Harrow was a head case. The kid routinely bawled in the locker room at half-time and after games (win or lose) because the pressure was getting to him. Archie was a loose cannon and took 10+ ill-advised shots per game, most of which barely drew iron. Willie was a project and was recruited to be a star 2 years down the road and wasn't expected to have to step in and take over for Nerlens like he had to do. Alex's problem was effort, which is not something a Coach can teach or coach a player to have. Lastly, Wiltjer was a scorer, but couldn't stop a grandma from scoring in a church league game. In fact, it was Julius Mays (who you left off your list) that held that team together over the last 10 games and kept the rest of the season from being a complete wash-out. The only thing keeping that team even slightly relevant was how super-talented Nerlens was. Thats why that team went 17-6 before his injury instead of 7-16. Without him they went 4-6 the rest of the way. There was absolutely zero cohesion in that team. No one were friends off the court really. Plus you had 2 guys who were liabilities and team killers (Harrow, and Goodwin) who were supposed to be your leaders in the backcourt.
This team wont be like that team. Ulis is a proven leader and has already shown what he can do on the court. Not sure about Briscoe yet, but he doesn't look like a Goodwin kind of player to me. Poy is a senior and is poised to have a breakout season. Skal is going to be the best frosh in the nation. If Lee and WIllis will put in the gym time this summer, both can be great players next season. Matthews and Mulder will be solid role guys who I think will surprise a lot of people with their offensive efficiency.
Without bringing up the past (Harrellson and other bigs from days long gone), what gives any of you folks confidence that Lee and Willis will become great players, have we seen that, besides a flash from Lee 2 years ago?
And please, no Blue/White game performance comments.
And please, no Blue/White game performance comments.
Ryan Harrow and Kyle Wiltjer don't have diddly squat to do with AP being ready to go from day one nor do they have a role in if Skal is cleared by the NCAA on day one
We are thin in the front court even if these guys are ready to go ,but if they are not then we have real problems.We have talent but we are heavy at the PG and SG spots.Things may work out fine but they may not
We are thin in the front court even if these guys are ready to go ,but if they are not then we have real problems.We have talent but we are heavy at the PG and SG spots.Things may work out fine but they may not
Billy Donovan had an NIT season with a bunch of AAs. Roy had an NIT season with a bunch of AAs. K had a 2/15 and 3/14 loss within 3 years of each other and had just as many AAs as we did those years. Miller can't get past the E8 so far with a zillion AAs. Self lost to a bunch of mid majors with a bunch of AAs.
Has it not occurred to you that basically every great coach has had a talented roster or two ruined by chemistry issues?
And I'll issue the challenge to you that I did to the eeyores in my other thread. Tell me where I'm wrong:
He built a truly dominant team which split with the GOAT '96 UK team (including a 10 point W) who, outside Camby, had zero high major offers, nobody ranked as a prospect out of high school, nobody drafted in either round, nobody even on honorable mention AA lists, nobody who even has a wikipedia page.
And if you include the four prior years, he produced a run at UMASS better than Smart or Marshall, and not that far off from Brad Stevens, the modern mid-major coaching demigods. At a school that had been to the NCAA tournament only once in its entire history, in 1962.
All this is true and can be easily verified - so what?
Let's apply Occam's razor here. Is the simpler explanation that he forgot how to coach in the mean time, or that sometimes great coaches have teams fall apart and that the single game elimination tournament doesn't always reward the best team?
Size is semi concern for me as well.
One good news I saw with the all-star games is that Skal measured at 218 already.
I believe Noel and Davis were both sub 220 here at UK. If strength coach can do what they did with KAT and get him in much better basketball shape I'll be less worried.
230 would be fantastic at collegiate level.
One good news I saw with the all-star games is that Skal measured at 218 already.
I believe Noel and Davis were both sub 220 here at UK. If strength coach can do what they did with KAT and get him in much better basketball shape I'll be less worried.
230 would be fantastic at collegiate level.
No idea about great players, but I remember a time where we didn't expect to have great players at all five positions two deep before being excited about a squad.
I've seen badass teams with only 2-3 great players and the rest just being pretty good. That's what most ranked teams are composed of, in fact.
