It all boils down to Bamba

[uk78]

Assuming that BAM goes pro, next year's Kentucky team doesn't stand a chance of getting to the championship level without a producing big man. Watching the tourney many Freshman, not just ours, started experiencing the tightness and outside shots began to fail. The teams that controlled the boards would win, on offense had perhaps one guy hitting from the outside, but otherwise was scoring or defending well in the paint that won the games. We have to had an inside presence and I hope Hump stays but he had one really good game at the end and otherwise didn't stand out. SKJ? I still don't understand what occurred there but I guess he just wasn't ready. Richards? I agree with the announcers a defender but poor hands and no real offensive skills yet. Bamba is the one player that can be a game changer. Either Duke or Kentucky it seems will be the team that lands him and this one player will make either team an elite level again. I hope it is us.

 

[DerekMcPwn]

If Bam comes back, we'll be good no matter what. If we get Bamba, we'll have one of the top frontcourts in the country. If we miss on both, but keep Humphries, we'll still be a top 15 team.

 

[FFWhite]

Bamba reminds me of Oden who was good enough to carry Matta to the championship game.

 

[docholiday51]

Richards seemed to have a good game last night but Bamba did some crazy freak stuff that most players just can't do(intercepting the lob pass) I think he moves very well for someone that size and he shoots free throws fairly well.

Bamba takes us to a whole other level,not sure how high that level is but he changes the game.

 

[kev69]

If we don't have at least one of the two, it's going to be a tough season.

 

[NCukcat62]

Bamba reminds me of Oden who was good enough to carry Matta to the championship game.

That is saying a lot. Oden before the injuries was the next big thing. One of the most dominant big man to come out of high school

 

[WildMoon]

Bamba reminds me of Oden who was good enough to carry Matta to the championship game.

I liked your comment, but i don't think that's true. Oden was probably going to be better than KD in NBA. If i remember correctly, his main hand was injured in college and STILL carried his team to the championship game. I thought he was good both offensively and defensively.

 

[Blueisbest]

Signing Bamba would take this incoming class from very good to extraordinary. Adding Knox would probably make it one of the all time best classes. Even if we don't get Knox but add one or two of the guards we are looking at would make it one of the best that Cal has had at UK.

 

[FFWhite]

Oden was not extremely skilled offensively but dominated with his size and strength. Durant has become better than he was projected. Most saw him as a 3/4 rather than a 7 foot 2/3.There have been dominant bigs but Durant is the first of his kind.

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

I think if Bam holds off a while to officially decide, and Bamba hasn't decided yet, then we will get him. But I'm nervous that if Bamba announces first, it won't be us.

 

[caneintally]

Signing Bamba would take this incoming class from very good to extraordinary. Adding Knox would probably make it one of the all time best classes. Even if we don't get Knox but add one or two of the guards we are looking at would make it one of the best that Cal has had at UK.

Bamba is key and then we would have the most imtimidating interior in college easily. 2 centers in Richards and Bamba that live for blocking shots and rebounds and won't demand the ball too much and mess up team chemistry. We will have plenty of offense from the other 4 spots let the 2 centers focus on D .

 

[Deli owl]

If Bam comes back, we'll be good no matter what. If we get Bamba, we'll have one of the top frontcourts in the country. If we miss on both, but keep Humphries, we'll still be a top 15 team.

I disagree. we really have missed that rim protection to erase mistakes.

 

[Blue Decade]

Assuming that BAM goes pro, next year's Kentucky team doesn't stand a chance of getting to the championship level without a producing big man. Watching the tourney many Freshman, not just ours, started experiencing the tightness and outside shots began to fail. The teams that controlled the boards would win, on offense had perhaps one guy hitting from the outside, but otherwise was scoring or defending well in the paint that won the games. We have to had an inside presence and I hope Hump stays but he had one really good game at the end and otherwise didn't stand out. SKJ? I still don't understand what occurred there but I guess he just wasn't ready. Richards? I agree with the announcers a defender but poor hands and no real offensive skills yet. Bamba is the one player that can be a game changer. Either Duke or Kentucky it seems will be the team that lands him and this one player will make either team an elite level again. I hope it is us.

I disagree with your premise. I don't know what Bamba will do, but with or without him I think Calipari will have a top 10 team next year. Of course, Bamba would make our team better. But if Bamba goes elsewhere, we will still have a deep, talented, competitive team. Diallo, Vanderbilt, Washington are incredible players. Gabriel, Richards are better than a lot of people think. And I think Cameron Johnson is coming to Kentucky.

 

[caneintally]

I disagree. we really have missed that rim protection to erase mistakes.

We have it regardless with Richards. He is the 2nd best shot blocker in this class with only Bamba due to length being better.

 

[Sparkaces1]

I honestly think Humphries can hold his own, of course Bamba will be better defensively, but there prob would not be 10 centers better on offense than Hump and he will be a year stronger as well, and that is not even mentioning SKJ OR Richards. Cats just loaded at 4 and 5 spots.

 

[mj2k10]

That is saying a lot. Oden before the injuries was the next big thing. One of the most dominant big man to come out of high school

It's saying too much.

Oden was a 7'1" explosive athlete with a solid build. That is not what Bamba is. Bamba has huge potential, because he has that crazy length, and is a solid athlete, but he doesn't move well enough to ever be compared to Oden (or Anthony Davis).

 

[Cawood86]

Richards seemed to have a good game last night but Bamba did some crazy freak stuff that most players just can't do(intercepting the lob pass) I think he moves very well for someone that size and he shoots free throws fairly well.

Bamba takes us to a whole other level,not sure how high that level is but he changes the game.

This is how I feel. Bamba is a game changing player. He altered a lot of shots last night that kind of went unnoticed because those announcers talked about mostly everything but the game a lot of times. He makes UK a contender because of his defense alone.

 

[Fitch44]

I hope we get bamba too but I love what I saw from Richards. ne will mold him into a star in a sjort period of time. Bamba has unmatched length and is a game changer but Richards seems tough as nails and a hard ass worker.
I cant wait to see what he will be like come October.

 

[EMMCAT]

It's saying too much.

Oden was a 7'1" explosive athlete with a solid build. That is not what Bamba is. Bamba has huge potential, because he has that crazy length, and is a solid athlete, but he doesn't move well enough to ever be compared to Oden (or Anthony Davis).

Having rim protectors has the added advantage of enabling perimeter defenders to press with the confidence that their man will be blocked at the rim if they get by them on the perimeter. A team of Green, Diallo, Vanderbilt, Bamba and Richards would be the all around best defensive team KY has ever put on the floor. No way opponents shoot more than 38/39% for the season.

 

[Sparkaces1]

It's saying too much.

Oden was a 7'1" explosive athlete with a solid build. That is not what Bamba is. Bamba has huge potential, because he has that crazy length, and is a solid athlete, but he doesn't move well enough to ever be compared to Oden (or Anthony Davis).

Yeah Oden was a whole different level before the injury. Only comparison with Bamba is height and length.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Bamba is Noel 2.0.

 

[WildMoon]

Put Bamba with great coach like Cal, and it'll be fun ride.

Let's hope we get him!

 

[JerseyCat84]

Bamba is no Oden. Then again he doesn't have to be.

 

[docholiday51]

Bamba is Noel 2.0.

Very close I think,he(Bamba) may be a bit more skilled at this age.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

We have it regardless with Richards. He is the 2nd best shot blocker in this class with only Bamba due to length being better.

Could be like noting the difference between Noel and Skal, which is to say, about 1.5 blocks/game difference and 5 to 8 more altered shots. I think I'll go with the real transcendent length on this one.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Very close I think,he(Bamba) may be a bit more skilled at this age.

Scary if true. Before the ACL injury, Noel was averaging 4.4 blocks/game. If Bamba choose UK and puts up those kind of numbers, UK is likely one of the top 4 teams next year.

 

[mj2k10]

Having rim protectors has the added advantage of enabling perimeter defenders to press with the confidence that their man will be blocked at the rim if they get by them on the perimeter. A team of Green, Diallo, Vanderbilt, Bamba and Richards would be the all around best defensive team KY has ever put on the floor. No way opponents shoot more than 38/39% for the season.

Stop with all the "best ever" stuff.

It would be a potentially great defensive team. And Bamba probably will be the best shotblocking presence in college basketball next year. But that's different than being the "all around best ever defensive team KY has ever put on the floor"(probably not), or Bamba being like Greg Oden (who went 15.7/9.6/3.3 blocks, with a 61.6 FG%, despite playing with a cast on his hand for about a month).

DeAndre Ayton is much closer to Oden than Bamba is. And even he comes up short on that comparison, because he tends to drift in and out of games in a way Oden didn't.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

I hope we get bamba too but I love what I saw from Richards. ne will mold him into a star in a sjort period of time. Bamba has unmatched length and is a game changer but Richards seems tough as nails and a hard ass worker.
I cant wait to see what he will be like come October.

I love that Calipari wants both of them. He sees the need for rim protection/rebounding after the last few seasons trying out the stretch four experiment and likely finding it lacking.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Bamba is Noel 2.0.

I've wondered why Noel's shot blocking hasn't translated to the NBA, particularly in reference to whether or not the injury took some of his explosiveness. I get that Noel is a guy who has averaged about 1 to 1.5 blocks/game in the league, but I was expecting something closer to 2 blocks/game based on his early projections.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

This is how I feel. Bamba is a game changing player. He altered a lot of shots last night that kind of went unnoticed because those announcers talked about mostly everything but the game a lot of times. He makes UK a contender because of his defense alone.

If he's really set on playing the 4 spot, I think UK obviously has an advantage with Richards already here and ready to man the 5.

 

[docholiday51]

Scary if true. Before the ACL injury, Noel was averaging 4.4 blocks/game. If Bamba choose UK and puts up those kind of numbers, UK is likely one of the top 4 teams next year.

I was thinking in terms of running the court,catching the ball,shooting free throws and maybe slightly ahead in offensive skills.Noel's timing on shot blocking was excellent,if Bamba can approach that then scary is a good word.The extra wing span ,to a degree, negates any difference there might in timing.

 

[W_Heisenberg]

Bamba reminds me of Oden who was good enough to carry Matta to the championship game.

Uhhh...no

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

I was thinking in terms of running the court,catching the ball,shooting free throws and maybe slightly ahead in offensive skills.Noel's timing on shot blocking was excellent,if Bamba can approach that then scary is a good word.The extra wing span ,to a degree, negates any difference there might in timing.

True. I think the completion of Bamba to UK would give UK a little bit of everything (assuming one of the three guards on the radar also selects UK).

• At least two decent perimeter threats (Green and one of the Baker/Smith/Johnson trio).
  
  
• Elite NBA-level athleticism at the wing positions (Vanderbilt/Diallo).
  
  
• Perimeter length to matchup with elite wings (Alexander, Vanderbilt, Diallo, maybe Smith or Johnson).
  
  
• Elite point guard play (Green).
  
  
• Elite rim protection and rebounding (Bamba/Richards).
  
  
• Versatility at the forward positions to cause matchup problems and give UK isolation advantages (Washington, Vanderbilt, Gabriel).
  

 

[Aike]

I've wondered why Noel's shot blocking hasn't translated to the NBA, particularly in reference to whether or not the injury took some of his explosiveness. I get that Noel is a guy who has averaged about 1 to 1.5 blocks/game in the league, but I was expecting something closer to 2 blocks/game based on his early projections.

His block percentage was 9th in the league in 2015, 19th in 2016, and would be 13th this year if he had enough games.

Taking only Dallas games, he would be up to 7th this year.

Will be interesting to track going forward.

 

[BlueRupp]

BAM already declared. What am I missing?

 

[HoldMyBeer]

BAM already declared. What am I missing?

He did not hire an agent.. yet, which means he has until late May to change his mind and return to UK . Underclassmen can declare for the draft, & if they don't hire an agent they don't give up their "amateurism ". As of now BAM can be evaluated, do workouts for NBA teams, get feedback, etc with option to return to school afterwards like Briscoe did last year.

 

[KA4Prez]

A top 15 team isn't good enough.

 

[uk78]

A lot of fans get upset if you don't say or think the next recruit is the greatest. But, Richards needs tons of work from what I have observed in his games. For a 7' player he is out of position and does not control the boards on rebounding and often gets out-rebounded, his hands are poor in terms of catching passes, and he doesn't show offensive moves. He does of course possess skills, I am not saying he doesn't. But Bamba is a game changer, like Davis was on defense. None of our current recruits are the best at their positions where you would say they are way better than other recruits as we found with Monk and Fox, or Murray and Ulis in the back courts, of the aforementioned Davis, etc. We need that one game changer and right now I don't see it for next years team.

 

[Cardsstink]

I'm sure Bamba and mama Bamba will be tuned into ESPN 30 for 30 on April 13th.

 

[TheAnonymous13]

Bamba reminds me of Oden who was good enough to carry Matta to the championship game.

Often was really, really, really, really good before betting hurt.
Not sure bamba is quite there.