I guess that is the best all that money could buy.
Honest opinion about Arkansas roster
- Thread starter Dontworryboutit23
- Start date
That could happen but I think the overriding factor is that cal doesn’t even want to be there. He used them to call Mitch’s bluff, it didn’t work, and now he has a new gig at a place he doesn’t want to be.
He was fat and happy at UK the last few years. I guess by mid December he will mail it in and he will be his sarcastic miserable self in post game media sessions calling em pig sooie Bennie’s.
Questions:
- Can Wagner play like he did last year from mid-Nov until his 2nd injury
- How will Davis adjust to not being "the man"
- Will Theiro develop a shot
- Can Richmond shoot
- Will Knox play in the team concept as not one of the top 4-5 guys
- Will Z play, and play in the role that suits his game
- Will Brazile cause problems (again)
- Will Aidou say WTF
- Can Wagner play like he did last year from mid-Nov until his 2nd injury
- How will Davis adjust to not being "the man"
- Will Theiro develop a shot
- Can Richmond shoot
- Will Knox play in the team concept as not one of the top 4-5 guys
- Will Z play, and play in the role that suits his game
- Will Brazile cause problems (again)
- Will Aidou say WTF
I hope their players miss dozens of games with questionable injuries and lose 29 games
They will experience the greatest night in Arkansas basketball history in June 2025- Draft Night.
Do you think AK has a better roster than UK? By the way, I’m not trying to bait you for an argument. If you think AK has the better roster to win next season that’s an opinion based on a lot of guesstimating, just like mine. But I really favor UK’s roster by quite a bit.
PG Butler/Kriisa/Perry vs Wagner/Fland
SG Brea/Chandler vs Davis
SF Robinson/Oweh/Noah vs Knox/Richmond
PF Carr/Almonor vs Adou/Brazile
C Williams/Garrison vs Adioo/Big Z
Beyond the position-by-position comparison, I think the versatility of the UK roster dwarfs AK. The 3-pt. shooting looks to be a no-contest in UK’s favor. Plus, any of UKs SGs & SFs can not only play either position, but it’s kind of hard to guess which position they would be best in – and that’s likely dependent on who is playing beside them. Also, I think Kriisa might thrive at 2G as well or better than at PG (same for Perry).
Arkansas is better on paper, but it’s the classic Calipari question of if the upside will be reached. Criticism of Arkansas outside shooting is probably valid. I think Knox is a better shooter than we gave him credit for, but that’s definitely a concern for Ark.
I just don't see it at all. I don't think that's a top 25 roster and their coach stinks!
Yeah that’s not really accurate, a lot of media and people who make their living evaluating such things think that, fans just agree.
I don't see that AK is better on paper, if we're talking about college basketball junkies and pundits looking at what players have done and where the realistic potential for next season lies based on the pieces. So, for me in analyzing the rosters, I don't consider it a Calipari thing per se. I think UK's roster is straight up better by a bit. But time will tell.
I'd take our roster over theirs in a heartbeat. And our coach in less than a heartbeat.
Eh, I don't know about that. I think Z will be really good. I'd take Thiero back in a second. And a 2 year DJ Wagner is really dangerous. Not to mention Johnell Davis, who was arguably the best pure scorer in the portal. Hard to argue against that being a top 10 team.
I actually disagree with people who say UK fans wouldn't like that roster, but what do I know?
Aidoo is solid, that’s going to be a problem. He couldn’t do anything with bid dude from Purdue, but he gave the SEC plenty of work. To discount him because Edy gave him the business seems short sided.
Even a lot of TN fans had nothing but bad things to say about Aidoo. Remember things like not a good rim protector, doesn't show up in big games a lot and offense limited. And read somewhere they was talking about his lack of toughness and the other center that backed him up that left gave them that when he went in for Aidoo. Maybe Payne can make a difference for him. Payne did pretty well with our bigs when he was here.
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Who is a lot of media? Anybody who has that roster top 10 shouldn’t be evaluating talent
They kept saying Calipari had a top 2-3 roster for the last 5 years too
Just saying
If it was UK’s roster 40-0 but it’s not but when it was yup 40-0 but it’s not now so 0-40. Just my honest opinion.
You know as much as me. We just have a different opinion on this, but we’re both doing a lot of surmising and forecasting – so who knows. But no argument from me on Davis being their best player though; and by a good margin, I think. I like the potential of Adou, Big Z and Wagner too, but I think the guys UK has at those positions are more proven and have also produced at a higher level. Carr has produced better than Adou or Brazile and actually looks much better than either at the PF spot from what I’ve watched. Both Butler and Kriisa have to date been more impressive than Wagner in their impact on winning. And Garrison has put up better numbers than Big Z, although to be fair Garrison played a lot more minutes and also hasn’t shown a 3pt. shot yet. And I don’t think the AK freshmen come close to being better next year than the upperclassmen UK has brought in. So, again I’m having a hard time seeing AK with a better roster on paper or otherwise. But as long as UK has the better results, I expect neither one of us will care.
Honest opinion, it's a 10+ loss team, depth at guard is a problem, doesn't have a true 2 guard, has some decent options at the 4 and 5. The best 10+ loss team chicken nuggets can buy.
In the last 25 years Arkansas has had 22 double digit loss seasons. 10 Losses is only a thing in BBN because it was used to trash Tubby. With our tough schedule and put together roster, we’re likely to lose double digit games too.
Some of you are setting yourself up to be really disappointed. Arkansas will be really good, the good news is talking season will be over soon enough and we’ll all get to watch together. It should be fun. No different than KY I’m sure they’ll have some ups and downs early, but give it 10 games or so and we’ll be able to see what’s what.
It’s your hill to die on, but don’t get mad when people line up to say “I told you so”. I won’t be one of those, but they’ll be coming.
Why would I be mad? I'm going off the last 4 years of Cal, and UK had a better roster last season than Cal will have at Arkansas. True story.
I’m just wondering what Alaska basketball has to do with anything.
It’s hard to tell how good Fland and Knox will be as freshmen and that’s really what it comes down to. The Arkansas roster is very talented but even 5* freshmen don’t have a 100% hit rate. The upside is pretty substantial though.
Kal/Cow can’t can’t coach, their players don’t want to win, Kal/Cow doesn’t know the assignment, the entire staff is evil in some way, their players are mid, they’ll be lucky to win 10 games according to the talking points.
I don’t care about this team or anybody else in the SEC or elsewhere. Only care about UK and the players on our team. The players on other teams don’t or never had any loyalty to UK and it’s basketball program.
I tend to agree with this. I'd be very worried about shooting.
And the freshmen that were coming here that followed him....I feel like our own fans weren't that excited about the class even before they followed him to Ark. Fland could be fine and contribute but I don't see either one being the game changing freshmen that they would need them to be to have a great season.
Thiero is the one that I wanted back. If he takes a leap....look out.
Payne didn’t really do anything here. When our bigs were other worldly they didn’t need a coach as bad as Payne. When our bigs couldn’t hit layups they never really developed. Payne has been shown for what he is, an overrated garbage coach that had the benefit of AD and KAT. We used the “good with the bigs” comments because as the lead assistant he couldn’t manage games, couldn’t develop, and didn’t recruit. He was Calipari’s yes man and he had to find something he did to say he’s a good coach.
Payne is trash. He’s just a nice guy that Calipari got paid.
This is a stupid post. You should never wish anyone injuries, the injury bug could hit any team including UK's.
