Is there any chance we get Khalifa?

[PersianCat387]

What's done is done, I am shocked and stunned as the rest of you, but there's no going back so I am thinking about the roster. The video shared earlier about Mark Pope's ultra modern offense has me excited. I also noticed that Khalifa, a CBB version of Jokic is listed as a junior and 2nd round prospect. Any chance he comes? We take him, maybe another transfer or two from BYU, pair them with Reed and Perry (who would excel in this system) and then hopefully get a few more system guys and actually have a decent year?

If we can get enough pieces, we might actually be able to put a top 4 in the SEC team on the floor and that's what we would need to build hype for year 2.

Thoughts or insights?

 

[ChicagoCat1990]

Thought Mia was BYU fan or something

 

[travisbickle]

What's done is done, I am shocked and stunned as the rest of you, but there's no going back so I am thinking about the roster. The video shared earlier about Mark Pope's ultra modern offense has me excited. I also noticed that Khalifa, a CBB version of Jokic is listed as a junior and 2nd round prospect. Any chance he comes? We take him, maybe another transfer or two from BYU, pair them with Reed and Perry (who would excel in this system) and then hopefully get a few more system guys and actually have a decent year?

If we can get enough pieces, we might actually be able to put a top 4 in the SEC team on the floor and that's what we would need to build hype for year 2.

Thoughts or insights?

Would love to get that guy but know no thing about him.

Big Z is tailor made for this offense so hopefully he will stay. Agree about Reed and Perry.

 

[PersianCat387]

Would love to get that guy but know no thing about him.

Big Z is tailor made for this offense so hopefully he will stay. Agree about Reed and Perry.

Very true, Z would be unleashed in that offense.

 

[Dead Cat Bounce]

It looks on the face of things like he plays for Pope:
He's Muslim, not Mormon.
He transferred into BYU from Charlotte.
His sister played ball at Cincinnati.
You wouldn't guess on that bio that he's a ride-or-die Provo guy. So, maybe?

 

[gossie21]

Khalifa is a fun player. Jackson Robinson is a nice player.

Gonna be solid contributors on a 6th place SEC team.

 

[PersianCat387]

It looks on the face of things like he plays for Pope:
He's Muslim, not Mormon.
He transferred into BYU from Charlotte.
His sister played ball at Cincinnati.
You wouldn't guess on that bio that he's a ride-or-die Provo guy. So, maybe?

Feels like we would blow his mind with any NIL offer we could make. Come here and make a few hundred K before trying your luck in the league? He was the top passing big man in the nation statistically, in the Big 12 no less.

If we are looking for other glimmers of hope, this was the guy who got hurt in the big 12 tournament and was not a 100% when they faced off against Duquense. So maybe Mark Pope would have had a chance for a run if that hadn't happened. At the very least he went as far as Cal

 

[Woodrow_Call_1998]

Would love to get that guy but know no thing about him.

Big Z is tailor made for this offense so hopefully he will stay. Agree about Reed and Perry.

I was thinking the same thing when I was watching that video of Marks offense.

 

[PersianCat387]

Khalifa is a fun player. Jackson Robinson is a nice player.

Gonna be solid contributors on a 6th place SEC team.

Lol, in the depths of my heart I am with you. But if we are gonna hope against hope, a Kalifa and Reed led team, assuming we bought enough NIL pieces in the portal that fit his system, could be something more.

Isn't Avila the 3rd best transfer guy in the portal? Guy is tailor-made for this system, sign him Mark!

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

He's that sloth that wore #50 with the knee brace and couldn't do anything in the NCAA game? He couldn't defend. Missed 2 ft shots. Was a complete STIFF on the court? Hard no regarding the SEC competition and being at Kentucky. You can find guys to play a role in the System that don't have to be from BYU.

BYU player I want is Jaxson Robinson. Rest need to be Portal and I highly doubt any non Travis Perry recruit will stick with UK.

My biggest thing is who will he be able to hire at UK with him? And rapping Hamilton and being a "Swifty" is fun and corny but nobody in this fanbase gives a **** about that crap right now.

See so many say "Jon Scheyer/Hubert Davis"--and omit the fact they were long time Assistants on the staff at Duke/UNC and that helped them get to make relationships/connect with recruits as they had to recruit at that level. Pope's hire just made their jobs as HC's easier and shifted some talent to the other big schools too.

Mitch really didn't do Mark a favor and sucks for a former Cat, but hope it goes well. This is about how I expected a Barnhart led search to operate. He didn't let me down.

 

[PersianCat387]

He's that sloth that wore #50 with the knee brace and couldn't do anything in the NCAA game? He couldn't defend. Missed 2 ft shots. Was a complete STIFF on the court? Hard no regarding the SEC competition and being at Kentucky. You can find guys to play a role in the System that don't have to be from BYU.

BYU player I want is Jaxson Robinson. Rest need to be Portal and I highly doubt any non Travis Perry recruit will stick with UK.

My biggest thing is who will he be able to hire at UK with him? And rapping Hamilton and being a "Swifty" is fun and corny but nobody in this fanbase gives a **** about that crap right now.

See so many say "Jon Scheyer/Hubert Davis"--and omit the fact they were long time Assistants on the staff at Duke/UNC and that helped them get to make relationships/connect with recruits as they had to recruit at that level. Pope's hire just made their jobs as HC's easier and shifted some talent to the other big schools too.

Mitch really didn't do Mark a favor and sucks for a former Cat, but hope it goes well. This is about how I expected a Barnhart led search to operate. He didn't let me down.

Only counterpoint to your first comment is that he was going around on a bum ankle the whole time. Draft projections have him as a 2nd rounder, so he is better than most, especially if they still see something in him being a 3rd year international player.

But I agree it's an underwhelming hire that doesn't excite outside of the on the court style of play. I hope some chips fall where he can at least play his style next year, win or lose and get us noticed for it. Even if we finish middle of the pack in the SEC, if we again deliver a top 10 offensive performance with a fun style of play, winning 100-80 sometimes and losing by that same score on other nights, at least we will get some positive exposure and have a chance to sell his system on a highly visible national stage, setting up a chance for a big year 2 and 3.

 

[SkyPrince1]

Wonder if Liam McNeely would at least listen to a Pope pitch.
Should be a guaranteed starting spot plus NIL.

 

[TNCatfanforever]

Khalifa is a fun player. Jackson Robinson is a nice player.

Gonna be solid contributors on a 6th place SEC team.

Hopefully they won’t go 9-16 and lose to Oakland and Saint Francis UNCW or Walter MCCarty’s team

 

[crawfords corner]

Wiz Khalifa is 6ft 4 and 36. Does he have any college eligibility left?

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

Only counterpoint to your first comment is that he was going around on a bum ankle the whole time. Draft projections have him as a 2nd rounder, so he is better than most, especially if they still see something in him being a 3rd year international player.

But I agree it's an underwhelming hire that doesn't excite outside of the on the court style of play. I hope some chips fall where he can at least play his style next year, win or lose and get us noticed for it. Even if we finish middle of the pack in the SEC, if we again deliver a top 10 offensive performance with a fun style of play, winning 100-80 sometimes and losing by that same score on other nights, at least we will get some positive exposure and have a chance to sell his system on a highly visible national stage, setting up a chance for a big year 2 and 3.

Watched the game--it was embarrassing to put him on the floor. He couldn't move. He was not playing well and he was hurting the team. They were better with him off the floor due to being immobile. One thing I don't give a crap about is Draft Projections. The guy was a STIFF on the court that game and had no business playing. When he left the game, they'd make a run/cut into the lead. He was tricking layups like it was a Women's Tournament game.

Glad he was brought up because that was a very concerning thing to evaluate a coach/staff on. Knowing how the game is going/who is playing well/who is hurting your team. You won't many NCAA Tournament games with that type of assessment.

I'll give Pope a chance as I would anyone. It's about who he can get on his Staff but the $/contract he received is embarrassingly similar in that Barnhart screwed Kentucky again with years/money. 5 for 27.5M---for this guy? No F'ing way.

 

[UKat51]

Wiz Khalifa is 6ft 4 and 36. Does he have any college eligibility left?

Khalifa is 6’11”

 

[ZagsVisitor]

It looks on the face of things like he plays for Pope:
He's Muslim, not Mormon.
He transferred into BYU from Charlotte.
His sister played ball at Cincinnati.
You wouldn't guess on that bio that he's a ride-or-die Provo guy. So, maybe?

One catch - Mark Pope was having a tough time recruiting guys who liked living subject to BYU’s rigid honor code, which forbids things like alcohol and premarital sex. Pope figured out that Muslims also like the lifestyle, and started recruiting north African and middle eastern guys to expand his recruiting pool. Khalifa is one of a few Muslim players on his team, who may stay at BYU precisely because of the culture.

He is also a defensive liability, so don’t be bummed if he doesn’t come.

 

[blackcat714]

Wiz Khalifa is 6ft 4 and 36. Does he have any college eligibility left?

Hopefully he does we just got beat by a 40 year old that works in the Mcdonalds drive-thru.

 

[Usleepy-2vs7]

Khalifa is 6’11”

I went on YouTube last night and found videos of BYU and found a video of someone on Hoopvision doing a breakdown of Popes play calling. He doesn’t roll the balls out for practices and just shoot around. And it shows he works plays routinely. His teams work their a&&es off executing game play.