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I don't care who anyone has. We have more than enough.

Jamal Sunburn

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Feb 20, 2007
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We have enough talent at all positions. We have a coach that puts teams like this together.

We'll be just fine. This team can be exceptional with the amount of length and skill we have. The only thing we're lacking is experience. And that will come.

Duke getting Bagley isn't ideal, but it really doesn't matter. We'll beat them anyway if we see them.

Let's go get number 9. That's all there is to it.
 
A problem that can occur early with great talent is that a coach can allow the players to play their way because early they are beating up all the cupcakes and an occasional good team. Cal does a good job of not allowing that to happen but if a coach doesn't intervene the word teamwork ceases to exit with those who don't buy in. K found that out last year so it will be interesting to watch all the moves that Dook makes.
 
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Duke has two guys more talented than anyone we have, and another two that are just as good as anyone we have.

We're deeper, but we're younger, and we lack transcendent talent. This recruiting class as a whole is weak, but grabbing 4 of the top 8 and returning Grayson Allen is a pretty darn good haul.

The best hope is that this class provides a foundation for a monster next season. Bring a handful of guys back, add 3-4 elite '18 guys and let's go get it.

We *can* win it this year, it's just not likely. Arizona, Duke and Michigan State are either more talented or more experienced or both. And we're definitely not good enough to overcome the draw and whistle we'll apparently get.
 
Duke has two guys more talented than anyone we have, and another two that are just as good as anyone we have.

We're deeper, but we're younger, and we lack transcendent talent. This recruiting class as a whole is weak, but grabbing 4 of the top 8 and returning Grayson Allen is a pretty darn good haul.

The best hope is that this class provides a foundation for a monster next season. Bring a handful of guys back, add 3-4 elite '18 guys and let's go get it.

We *can* win it this year, it's just not likely. Arizona, Duke and Michigan State are either more talented or more experienced or both. And we're definitely not good enough to overcome the draw and whistle we'll apparently get.
Welp, this saves me a lot of angst and fretting over this season. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Duke has two guys more talented than anyone we have, and another two that are just as good as anyone we have.

We're deeper, but we're younger, and we lack transcendent talent. This recruiting class as a whole is weak, but grabbing 4 of the top 8 and returning Grayson Allen is a pretty darn good haul.

The best hope is that this class provides a foundation for a monster next season. Bring a handful of guys back, add 3-4 elite '18 guys and let's go get it.

We *can* win it this year, it's just not likely. Arizona, Duke and Michigan State are either more talented or more experienced or both. And we're definitely not good enough to overcome the draw and whistle we'll apparently get.
This is the truth.
 
Welp, this saves me a lot of angst and fretting over this season. Thanks for the heads up.

I'm here to help.

Fans can talk themselves into anything. But perception and reality are different. We were preseason #1 in 13, and while we don't go to the NIT if Nerlens stays healthy, no one in their right mind looks at that team and thinks it was a title contender.

This year's recruiting class is about on par with that one from a talent perspective, except we didn't land the Nerlens Noel's of the world this time and we don't have as much experience returning as that team did (which wasn't much, either).

Obviously this team has more overall talent because we have a bigger recruiting class, but there's no one that's Noel good. We'll be fine, because it's a down year across the board and this team is versatile and should defend well, but objectively, we aren't any kind of favorite to win the title.
 
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Wrong no we have about 7-8 guys with NBA futures. That is nowhere near the Nerlens team.

99% of all coaches in Division 1 would want our roster to compete this season.

You kids get caught up in rankings like it's gospel. The game isn't played on paper with recruiting services.

Duke has 2 players more talented than anyone we have?

Oh really? Who are these 2 players? Bagley was gonna be a 20 yr old senior. A great talent? Sure. But let's not get carried away.

We've had more talented rosters and have lost to lesser talented rosters. That's hoops.

So while y'all go plan for 2018-19, I'll be here watching the wins pile up.

Fans wanna cry that recruiting is slipping, we just had Fox, Monk, and BAM.

Its disgusting how people have lost a sense of reality.
 
Wrong no we have about 7-8 guys with NBA futures. That is nowhere near the Nerlens team.

99% of all coaches in Division 1 would want our roster to compete this season.

You kids get caught up in rankings like it's gospel. The game isn't played on paper with recruiting services.

Duke has 2 players more talented than anyone we have?

Oh really? Who are these 2 players? Bagley was gonna be a 20 yr old senior. A great talent? Sure. But let's not get carried away.

We've had more talented rosters and have lost to lesser talented rosters. That's hoops.

So while y'all go plan for 2018-19, I'll be here watching the wins pile up.

Fans wanna cry that recruiting is slipping, we just had Fox, Monk, and BAM.

Its disgusting how people have lost a sense of reality.
If Bagley was going to be a 20 year old senior in high school, that should tell you all that you need to know about him
 
I'm here to help.

Fans can talk themselves into anything. But perception and reality are different. We were preseason #1 in 13, and while we don't go to the NIT if Nerlens stays healthy, no one in their right mind looks at that team and thinks it was a title contender.

This year's recruiting class is about on par with that one from a talent perspective, except we didn't land the Nerlens Noel's of the world this time and we don't have as much experience returning as that team did (which wasn't much, either).

Obviously this team has more overall talent because we have a bigger recruiting class, but there's no one that's Noel good. We'll be fine, because it's a down year across the board and this team is versatile and should defend well, but objectively, we aren't any kind of favorite to win the title.
Diallo is that type of player Noel was and Wiltjer was the only returning player in 12-13, well I guess Polson was the other. That team was decent and was a second weekend team when healthy and I am saying this year's team is a second weekend type team. Similar on paper to 12-13 yes, will the season be the same, no, unless Diallo and one other guy gets injured for the year.

Oh and this team is similar to the 13-14 team as well and they were runner up, not a good regular season though but our schedule is easier this year.
 
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I think the point is that Duke has won at least 2 Titles here recently with lesser talent than others including UK. If they get the easiest road to the Final Four again (and i expect nothing less) they will be a shoe in for the Final Four.
 
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I think the point is that Duke has won at least 2 Titles here recently with lesser talent than others including UK. If they get the easiest road to the Final Four again (and i expect nothing less) they will be a shoe in for the Final Four.

Maybe, but K doesn't get a bunch of talented freshman to buy in like that. It happened once and it was only because of Wisconsin that they won it all.
 
Wrong no we have about 7-8 guys with NBA futures. That is nowhere near the Nerlens team.

99% of all coaches in Division 1 would want our roster to compete this season.

You kids get caught up in rankings like it's gospel. The game isn't played on paper with recruiting services.

Duke has 2 players more talented than anyone we have?

Oh really? Who are these 2 players? Bagley was gonna be a 20 yr old senior. A great talent? Sure. But let's not get carried away.

We've had more talented rosters and have lost to lesser talented rosters. That's hoops.

So while y'all go plan for 2018-19, I'll be here watching the wins pile up.

Fans wanna cry that recruiting is slipping, we just had Fox, Monk, and BAM.

Its disgusting how people have lost a sense of reality.

99% of coaches would take our roster because that makes us a top-10 team. It's the other 1% that have better chances to win the title. That's my point.

If you aren't caught up in rankings, then what on earth are you basing your assertion that we'll be really good on? None of our guys have played a game.

You can't claim we have 7-8 NBA players and then argue that the same experts who tell you that we do are wrong that Duke's top guys are better than our top guys. Bagley and Carter are better than anyone on our team. Duval is as good. Trent is a notch below Knox/Diallo but is in that Washington/Vando tier. And they bring Allen back.

Yes, less talented rosters beat more talented rosters. But when we've seen none of them play, it might be wise to project expectations based on the massive set of data trends that suggest more talented teams win most of the time. It's why Cal recruits so hard.

The wins will pile up, because we're still a good team with a very good coach. But we're a notch below that top tier of 3-4 squads that are favorites to win it. To argue otherwise is wishful thinking and homerism.

And yes, we just had Fox, Monk and Bam and that team was sent home in the elite 8. If you think we have anyone as good as DeAaron Fox or Malik Monk on this team, you're going to be disappointed.
 
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It's august. We haven't seen any of the new guys play a college game. Some freshmen adjust faster than others. Some players outperform their ranking. Some underperform. Some returners make bigger strides than expected. Some make less.

Does Duke have a talent advantage over us on paper? Sure. It's not a huge one, but sure. Could that bear out on the court throughout the season? Again, sure. But anyone making any kind of hard line prediction about how our team will fair come 7-8 months from now -good or bad- is doing a hell of a lot of guesswork at this point.
 
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99% of coaches would take our roster because that makes us a top-10 team. It's the other 1% that have better chances to win the title. That's my point.

If you aren't caught up in rankings, then what on earth are you basing your assertion that we'll be really good on? None of our guys have played a game.

You can't claim we have 7-8 NBA players and then argue that the same experts who tell you that we do are wrong that Duke's top guys are better than our top guys. Bagley and Carter are better than anyone on our team. Duval is as good. Trent is a notch below Knox/Diallo but is in that Washington/Vando tier. And they bring Allen back.

Yes, less talented rosters beat more talented rosters. But when we've seen none of them play, it might be wise to project expectations based on the massive set of data trends that suggest more talented teams win most of the time. It's why Cal recruits so hard.

The wins will pile up, because we're still a good team with a very good coach. But we're a notch below that top tier of 3-4 squads that are favorites to win it. To argue otherwise is wishful thinking and homerism.

And yes, we just had Fox, Monk and Bam and that team was sent home in the elite 8. If you think we have anyone as good as DeAaron Fox or Malik Monk on this team, you're going to be disappointed.

I can make assertions on our team because I have seen the kids play and I know how well we develop kids with that amount of talent if they buy in to our coaches. And this group sounds and looks like they're ready to work.

When is the last time the most talented team won the national title?

Anthony Davis and MKG.

So no, that isn't a viable data trend that we can rely on.
 
Duke has two guys more talented than anyone we have, and another two that are just as good as anyone we have.

We're deeper, but we're younger, and we lack transcendent talent. This recruiting class as a whole is weak, but grabbing 4 of the top 8 and returning Grayson Allen is a pretty darn good haul.

The best hope is that this class provides a foundation for a monster next season. Bring a handful of guys back, add 3-4 elite '18 guys and let's go get it.

We *can* win it this year, it's just not likely. Arizona, Duke and Michigan State are either more talented or more experienced or both. And we're definitely not good enough to overcome the draw and whistle we'll apparently get.
Duke has a nice collection of players, I agree. I'm not so sure they have two guys more talented than anyone we have. Also, the other two players that are as good as anyone we have; who are you referring to?
 
And? Hamidou Diallo, P.J. Washington, Quade Green are 19 starting their college careers, while Nick Richards will be 20 in November. What does that mean?

Diallo is technically a redshirt freshman. Anyway, not really sure what it means, a previous poster pointed it out. I was simply stating that Bagley would have been a 19 year old senior in high school.
 
I can make assertions on our team because I have seen the kids play and I know how well we develop kids with that amount of talent if they buy in to our coaches. And this group sounds and looks like they're ready to work.

When is the last time the most talented team won the national title?

Anthony Davis and MKG.

So no, that isn't a viable data trend that we can rely on.

How many times has one of the 3-4 most talented teams won a title?

Carolina last year. Duke in 15. Kentucky in 12. Improves the odds quite a bit.

If you're looking for one concrete measurement that produces an overwhelming majority of championships, you won't find one. The tournament is too random. But relying on randomness to win a title is probably the worst strategy I can imagine, so I'll take my chances with talent.

When have you seen our guys play? And did you watch any of Duke's guys? What about all the guys Arizona and Michigan State are bringing back? Have you seen Ayton? Jaren Jackson?

Look, I'm not going to sit here and try to tear down the Cats. I'm not wired that way. But if you can't look at our results in a down recruiting year (2013) or how much that loaded 14 squad struggled even with overwhelming talent, then hopefully in February and March you guys can bump this thread and laugh at me.
 
Duke has a nice collection of players, I agree. I'm not so sure they have two guys more talented than anyone we have. Also, the other two players that are as good as anyone we have; who are you referring to?

Duval is as good as anyone on our team from a talent perspective. Trent is a notch below but he's as good as anyone we have besides Knox and Diallo (and maybe Washington is a bit better, but it's tough to compare similar talents at different positions).

I'd rank them:

Bagley

(big gap)

Carter

(small gap)

Knox
Duval
Diallo

(small gap)

Trent
Washington
Vanderbilt


Then you factor in Grayson Allen, who I'd put between that Carter and Knox tier based on experience (not considering attitude/chemistry).

We have several bench guys better than anyone they have, but they're more talented at the top, and I'd rather have elite talent than lots of very good depth.
 
I think it would be wise to expect this to be a Sweet 16 caliber team, and be excited if we end up better than that.

Last year, we had the best freshman backcourt, maybe ever. Monk was destined to light up the scoreboard.

Year before, we knew we were in great hands with Ulis, and Murray was an explosive scorer.

2015 doesn't need mentioning. 2014 was a struggle all year, despite having a top 3 talent bulldog in Randle, 6'5" bookends at guard, a wing who could stroke the jumper, and a couple returnees who would eventually play in the NBA.

2013 (like this year) there were lots of question marks. Noel, though, was projected as the top pick before his injury.

I think that's enough of a stroll down memory lane. Who is our Monk or Murray this year? We hope Knox, but we don't know.

Who is our top 5, sure lottery pick talent?

Again, we aren't sure. Maybe Knox, maybe Vanderbilt, maybe Diallo, maybe nobody.

How ready will Green or SGA be to lead the team (especially with less veteran leadership to lean on)?

It isn't hard for me to see this team coming together and being tough by March. But it's also EASY to see them struggling early, or maybe never completely clicking.

Basically, we have more question marks coming in than we've had since Cal got here. So everyone believe whatever you want. I for one won't be mad if this team never looks like a world beater. As always, I have my hopes up.
 
Bagley isn't even the best player in this class, Michael Porter is, yeah you all are getting real carried away. He's compared to Lamar odom and he's a transcendent talent? As good as Anthony Davis? Gimme a break.

Bagley is the best player in the class. Most scouts consider him the best prospect since LeBron James. Specifically ahead of Anthony Davis. Yes, these are the same scouts who put Skal at #1 in his class (and who knows, they may be right considering his surprising progress in the NBA) but the entire scouting world seems to be in agreement that Bagley is a significant and potentially historical-type recruit.

Also, Lamar Odom had all of the physical traits to be one of the best college and NBA players out there. He was just a mental midget, which many high school players can be. You just never know which guys will never grow up.
 
Duval is as good as anyone on our team from a talent perspective. Trent is a notch below but he's as good as anyone we have besides Knox and Diallo (and maybe Washington is a bit better, but it's tough to compare similar talents at different positions).

I'd rank them:

Bagley

(big gap)

Carter

(small gap)

Knox
Duval
Diallo

(small gap)

Trent
Washington
Vanderbilt


Then you factor in Grayson Allen, who I'd put between that Carter and Knox tier based on experience (not considering attitude/chemistry).

We have several bench guys better than anyone they have, but they're more talented at the top, and I'd rather have elite talent than lots of very good depth.
I would have to put Vanderbilt way, way higher, if healthy.
 
Bagley is the best player in the class. Most scouts consider him the best prospect since LeBron James. Specifically ahead of Anthony Davis. Yes, these are the same scouts who put Skal at #1 in his class (and who knows, they may be right considering his surprising progress in the NBA) but the entire scouting world seems to be in agreement that Bagley is a significant and potentially historical-type recruit.

Also, Lamar Odom had all of the physical traits to be one of the best college and NBA players out there. He was just a mental midget, which many high school players can be. You just never know which guys will never grow up.
I have a really hard time believing Bagley is better than AD at the same age. Austin Rivers was supposed to have been better as well. We all know how that turned out.
 
Harry Giles was also the best ever, and it didn't matter that he had blown his knees out twice.

But then he didn't look like he even knew how to play, bad knees or not.

So just, whatever. They have to play the games. I might even watch them a few times (on mute).
 
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I have a really hard time believing Bagley is better than AD at the same age. Austin Rivers was supposed to have been better as well. We all know how that turned out.

I remember Rivers took over the #1 spot almost overnight once he committed to Duke. We all saw the nepotism there. Same with Avery Bradley being the #1 recruit over John Wall after Wall committed to UK. I agree, Bagley will have to move mountains to convince me he's a better prospect than Davis was coming out of high school. A lot of "experts" seem to be pretty confident in him.
 
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Bagley's better than AD entering college. Davis was just on such a freakish trajectory that he's ended up even better than anyone expecting coming in to Kentucky.

Bagley might be closer to his ceiling and never end up what Davis is, but I think we forget how limited AD was in certain aspects early on. There's really not anything Bagley can't do. He scores at all three levels, he handles the ball, he's a monster rebounder, he's a very good shot blocker, it's all there.

Nobody is a sure thing, but that dude is incredibly good. He shouldn't be eligible to play college basketball, but he's incredibly good.
 
Bagley is the best player in the class. Most scouts consider him the best prospect since LeBron James. Specifically ahead of Anthony Davis. Yes, these are the same scouts who put Skal at #1 in his class (and who knows, they may be right considering his surprising progress in the NBA) but the entire scouting world seems to be in agreement that Bagley is a significant and potentially historical-type recruit.

Also, Lamar Odom had all of the physical traits to be one of the best college and NBA players out there. He was just a mental midget, which many high school players can be. You just never know which guys will never grow up.
Can I get a link to a few of the scouts quotes? If he's by far and away the best prospect, why do mock drafts still have Porter going first, ahead of Bagley?

I've read about him being the most NBA ready player but nothing about him being the best prospect since James, two completely different things.
 
Duke has two guys more talented than anyone we have, and another two that are just as good as anyone we have.

We're deeper, but we're younger, and we lack transcendent talent. This recruiting class as a whole is weak, but grabbing 4 of the top 8 and returning Grayson Allen is a pretty darn good haul.

The best hope is that this class provides a foundation for a monster next season. Bring a handful of guys back, add 3-4 elite '18 guys and let's go get it.

We *can* win it this year, it's just not likely. Arizona, Duke and Michigan State are either more talented or more experienced or both. And we're definitely not good enough to overcome the draw and whistle we'll apparently get.

Just a tad too pessimistic....not a whole lot but just a tad. (Only a half mile, not a whole mile) (Need to leave room for the errors that recruiting and ranking sites make as normal occurrences.) Trust in Cal's individual observations... he seems to be learning a lot still so I am optimistic as I can be... Odds are that K still can't manage attitudes/ ego's nearly as well as Cal. I think this is due to Cal has his heart invested in these kids with what he does and K, not so much. jmuo
 
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Can I get a link to a few of the scouts quotes? If he's by far and away the best prospect, why do mock drafts still have Porter going first, ahead of Bagley?

"Marvin Bagley is such a rare talent that there is a reasonable argument to be made that he's the most NBA-ready high school prospect since LeBron James. From wire to wire, essentially, Bagley has been considered the No. 1 player in his class which, as of this moment, is still technically 2018." - CBS Sports

"Prospects Michael Porter Jr., Luka Doncic, DeAndre Ayton, Mo Bamba and Miles Bridges have long been the names atop 2018 NBA Mock Drafts. With the addition of Bagley, there’s a new alpha amongst this group. Bamba and Ayton have been fawned over for their size and potential, Bridges is an athletic freak, Doncic plays the most mature brand of basketball of any 18-year-old and Porter Jr. was the crowned prince of this class.
There has been much debate about who is the best prospect of the group mentioned above, but the debate is over. Bagley is the crown jewel of the 2018 NBA Draft class." - The Step Back

"Bagley is the type of talent that would elevate any team. Since I’ve started covering college basketball recruiting in 2013, Bagley is the best individual talent I have seen at the high school level. If he decides to reclassify, it will immediately alter the national title picture for next season." - SBNation

I think most mock drafts haven't updated since Bagley's reclassifying. These quotes are just from the first page of a google search on Bagley.
 
The Harrison's were supposed to be world beaters. Devin Booker was a four star. KAT was ranked below okafor and cliff Alexander. Tyler Ulis was ranked outside of the top 20. Josh Harrellson was a juco transfer who'd withered on the bench until his final year.

Rankings are generally a pretty good gauge, and your chances of success definitely increase with the more top rated players you land. But when you get into specifics about whether player x must be player y because he's ranked three spots higher, they're nowhere near exact.

Put it this way: it shouldn't be a big surprise to anyone if Knox has a better year than Wendell Carter.
 
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"Marvin Bagley is such a rare talent that there is a reasonable argument to be made that he's the most NBA-ready high school prospect since LeBron James. From wire to wire, essentially, Bagley has been considered the No. 1 player in his class which, as of this moment, is still technically 2018." - CBS Sports

"Prospects Michael Porter Jr., Luka Doncic, DeAndre Ayton, Mo Bamba and Miles Bridges have long been the names atop 2018 NBA Mock Drafts. With the addition of Bagley, there’s a new alpha amongst this group. Bamba and Ayton have been fawned over for their size and potential, Bridges is an athletic freak, Doncic plays the most mature brand of basketball of any 18-year-old and Porter Jr. was the crowned prince of this class.
There has been much debate about who is the best prospect of the group mentioned above, but the debate is over. Bagley is the crown jewel of the 2018 NBA Draft class." - The Step Back

"Bagley is the type of talent that would elevate any team. Since I’ve started covering college basketball recruiting in 2013, Bagley is the best individual talent I have seen at the high school level. If he decides to reclassify, it will immediately alter the national title picture for next season." - SBNation

I think most mock drafts haven't updated since Bagley's reclassifying. These quotes are just from the first page of a google search on Bagley.
I read the same article, and while it's flattering to Bagley it is to other players as well and says nothing about him being the best player since Lebron or better than Anthony Davis. It's a stretch to think being the most NBA ready is hinting at being the best player since Lebron. I'm not saying he's not a stud, he is clearly but the hype on this board is over the top and not based in reality.

"Since I've started covering college basketball recruiting in 2013". Guy is saying he's the best prospect since 2013, is four years a generation now? Also, others believe Porter is the better prospect.
 
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Bagley's better than AD entering college. Davis was just on such a freakish trajectory that he's ended up even better than anyone expecting coming in to Kentucky.

Bagley might be closer to his ceiling and never end up what Davis is, but I think we forget how limited AD was in certain aspects early on. There's really not anything Bagley can't do. He scores at all three levels, he handles the ball, he's a monster rebounder, he's a very good shot blocker, it's all there.

Nobody is a sure thing, but that dude is incredibly good. He shouldn't be eligible to play college basketball, but he's incredibly good.
The notion that AD was limited in college is a myth. He was limited because he was held back by Cal and playing a certain role for us. He could've score 30 a game for us if given the shots and opportunity (I believe you know Cal's quotes when it comes to the most shots on the team). Go back and look at his HS mixtape. He had incredible range, we just didn't need him to score in order for us to succeed. Go back and watch the Jordan Brand Classic game against the best HS competition. He murdered them with 29 points in 29 minutes. Sure it was a HS game, but he was 13-15 from the floor. I mean my God the first play in this highlight mix (besides the jump ball) should tell you all you need to know.

 
How many times has one of the 3-4 most talented teams won a title?

Carolina last year. Duke in 15. Kentucky in 12. Improves the odds quite a bit.

If you're looking for one concrete measurement that produces an overwhelming majority of championships, you won't find one. The tournament is too random. But relying on randomness to win a title is probably the worst strategy I can imagine, so I'll take my chances with talent.

When have you seen our guys play? And did you watch any of Duke's guys? What about all the guys Arizona and Michigan State are bringing back? Have you seen Ayton? Jaren Jackson?

Look, I'm not going to sit here and try to tear down the Cats. I'm not wired that way. But if you can't look at our results in a down recruiting year (2013) or how much that loaded 14 squad struggled even with overwhelming talent, then hopefully in February and March you guys can bump this thread and laugh at me.

And Kentucky is clearly one of the 3-4 most talented teams in the country. Are we the most talented? I dunno. But the disparity isn't that wide.

I've watched most of the kids play to some extent. And we clearly have skilled and athletic players. It's easy to project their talents at the College level with proper coaching.

I'm saying it's not all gloom and doom. There might be bumps in the road. But by tourney time, we'll be straight. I wouldn't trade this squad for any other roster.
 
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I'm here to help.

Fans can talk themselves into anything. But perception and reality are different. We were preseason #1 in 13, and while we don't go to the NIT if Nerlens stays healthy, no one in their right mind looks at that team and thinks it was a title contender.

This year's recruiting class is about on par with that one from a talent perspective, except we didn't land the Nerlens Noel's of the world this time and we don't have as much experience returning as that team did (which wasn't much, either).

Obviously this team has more overall talent because we have a bigger recruiting class, but there's no one that's Noel good. We'll be fine, because it's a down year across the board and this team is versatile and should defend well, but objectively, we aren't any kind of favorite to win the title.
I'm not ready to give the title to them yet. You can if you want to. Cal has a proven record of doing this with very young teams. I will hang with him.
The '11 team wasn't any kind of favorite either. Basically played 6 guys and beat the best 2 teams in the nation that year in the tourney. Teams that were way more talented.
 
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^ I absolutely hear you on the ego management, etc.

I'm not saying Duke is a lock. I actually don't think they're better than Arizona. I'm just saying they're very talented at the top.

None of that takes into account that Duval has to run the show and make better decisions. That those freshmen are going to want the ball and so will Allen. That Allen has shown to be a headcase that can hurt the overall team chemistry at times. That spacing can be a disaster if Duval doesn't shoot much better from deep. That they lack significant depth. That Coach K appears to be dealing with nagging health issues. That Capel isn't a viable replacement.

And that Marvin Bagley may never play a second of college hoops if there is any justice in the universe because he's an 18 year old junior to be who will start classes at Duke University in a week.
 
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