If the season ended today, who stays and who goes?

[bigbluelou]

(Not counting players in their final year of eligibility or players who really don't or probably won't play much.)

My guesses are below. I'm not saying what I think they SHOULD do but what they WOULD do if they had to decide today.

Gone:

1. Bradshaw
2. Wagner
3. Dillingham
4. Edwards

Return:

1. Thiero
2. Ugo
3. Burks

On the fence:

1. Sheppard - this is a tough one because I think it would depend on his draft position. If he would go first round, I'd say he's gone, but if he would fall to the 2nd round, I think he'd stay.
2. Zvon - not sure he'll ever play a minute but if he does, like Sheppard, I think it would depend on his draft position.

 

[J-Ryan]

Unless Ugo has a huge breakout year and becomes starter quality, I think he transfers. So..I would agree with yours except I’d say Ugo would be gone

 

[MachineHead1]

All of the freshmen are projected first rounders. The only one that MIGHT stay is Sheppard, and that’s just because of his parents. If they weren’t two prior UK greats, he’d also be 100% gone.

 

[docholiday51]

Everybody leaves, this is UK, anyone who returns is an unexpected bonus.

 

[Padsfs07]

I assume all the guards leave. So no Sheppard, Dillingham, etc. Also Bradshaw, Ivisic will be gone imo.

Even so, Quaintance, Onyenso, and Cyril is an excellent frontcourt, along with Thiero and Burks as the 3/4 types.

I think Fland, Perry, and a couple more guard/wing recruits will be good too. Then I think Calipari looks for a sharpshooter wing in the portal. If Onyenso transfers, I think he looks to add a top frontcourt transfer that can shoot like Sarr and Mitchell.

 

[YardCat]

Cal is the only one I know that Returns!
Anyone that can go Cal will try to push them out.

 

[BlueBomb]

The entire team leaves, including walk-ons and water boys. I tell myself that every year, so if a couple of them do come back I can be happily surprised. It's the little things, you know?

 

[the nail at the foul line]

H squared

 

[Mulder14]

Cal is the only one I know that Returns!
Anyone that can go Cal will try to push them out.

As a coach wouldn’t you want to do what’s best for the kids to go make millions?

 

[UKWildcats1987]

As a coach wouldn’t you want to do what’s best for the kids to go make millions?

Basketball is the only major people on here don't want the students to make big bucks at 19 years old.

 

[bucsrule8872]

My prediction:

Gone

Wagner
Bradshaw
Edwards
Dillingham
Ivisic
Onyenso(transfer)

Return

Sheppard
Thiero
Burks
Hart

Add

Fland
Perry
Knox
Richmond
Quaintance
Cyril
Reclass or Transfer

 

[Boyd94]

Basketball is the only major people on here don't want the students to make big bucks at 19 years old.

I've read this statement five times and still can't figure out what the hell you are trying to say.

 

[shodaman]

(Not counting players in their final year of eligibility or players who really don't or probably won't play much.)

My guesses are below. I'm not saying what I think they SHOULD do but what they WOULD do if they had to decide today.

Gone:

1. Bradshaw
2. Wagner
3. Dillingham
4. Edwards

Return:

1. Thiero
2. Ugo
3. Burks

On the fence:

1. Sheppard - this is a tough one because I think it would depend on his draft position. If he would go first round, I'd say he's gone, but if he would fall to the 2nd round, I think he'd stay.
2. Zvon - not sure he'll ever play a minute but if he does, like Sheppard, I think it would depend on his draft position.

I think nil money may have some say in who stays who goes

 

[ukcatz12]

Anyone that can go Cal will try to push them out.

So I do think it's worth mentioning why that is, because it relates to this year's team. DJ's dad Dajuan was a one and done (maybe Cal's first?). Famously Cal pushed him to declare and there was even reporting he "ripped up" his scholarship. So what happens when he gets to the NBA? They discover a big health issue that derails his career and basically ends it. If Cal doesn't push him into the NBA and he returns to school there's a very real chance he earns zero NBA dollars.

That certainly colored Cal's view of one and done kids and is one of the reasons he pushes them to go. Go get the money now because tomorrow's not guaranteed for anyone. He's been very open about the fact that he's going to do right by the kids and I don't have a problem with that.

 

[ukcatz12]

I've read this statement five times and still can't figure out what the hell you are trying to say.

If a freshmen Comp Sci major was offered a $10 million contract from Google after his freshmen year and left school exactly zero people would have an issue with it. But for some reason when it's basketball players getting the job offer after one year of school there's a certain segment of people that all of a sudden start clutching their pearls.

 

[Kybluedude]

So I do think it's worth mentioning why that is, because it relates to this year's team. DJ's dad Dajuan was a one and done (maybe Cal's first?). Famously Cal pushed him to declare and there was even reporting he "ripped up" his scholarship. So what happens when he gets to the NBA? They discover a big health issue that basically derails his career and basically ends it. If Cal doesn't push him into the NBA and he returns to school there's a very real chance he earns zero NBA dollars.

That certainly colored Cal's view of one and done kids and is one of the reasons he pushes them to go. Go get the money now because tomorrow's not guaranteed for anyone. He's been very open about the fact that he's going to do right by the kids and I don't have a problem with that.

Insightful. Paints it in another light.

Just wish Cal would talk more passionately about him wanting a title for his employer!

Also another title moves him into a different level nationally and at UK.

 

[ukcatz12]

Insightful. Paints it in another light.

Just wish Cal would talk more passionately about him wanting a title for his employer!

Also another title moves him into a different level nationally and at UK.

I do think it's a difficult line to toe. There was an article on KSR this week about how Dillingham's mom recently texted Cal and basically said "thank you for taking care of my baby." I think it's hard to form relationships with parents like that, and then have these kids for a year, and not want to do what's in their best interest.

I think Cal's mindset is less "let's do what's in the kid's best interest, program be damned" and more "let's do what's in the kid's best interest because even if they leave I'll figure out how to play without them next year." It admittedly hasn't worked out particularly well in a number of years.

The other side of this is if you're 100% program oriented and not worried about the kids it makes its way through the grapevine. Juzang was a projected first round pick a few years ago and returned to UCLA. His stock dropped significantly and he went undrafted in 2022 and is fighting it out on a two way contract in the G League. Talk kids into coming back and have that happen one too many times and kids with NBA aspirations aren't coming to play for you anymore.