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Just a short message about the portal

I'm reading folks getting entirely wound up about these guys.

Remember, if these guys were can't miss they would likely be in the NBA draft or staying where they were. As someone stated: these guys are valuable pieces to a team, not superhero saviors.

I don't really think that's what people are fretting over.. missing a guy that they think is going to be some 20pt/night stud. I think instead it's many of us seeing Kentucky get turned down, quite a bit. Maybe the realization that this NIL era is going to be quite different.

Again, there's still time. I won't say it's "early", but were not in any sort of danger zone. We DO have 4-5guys coming back, 3 incoming recruits, and 1 transfer... it's very possible we might only get 2-3 more transfers.
 
Remember, if these guys were can't miss they would likely be in the NBA draft or staying where they were.
The last part of your sentence is quite disconnected from today’s reality.

Being the real deal is now more commonly viewed as the reason NOT to stay where you are. The days are long gone when transferring suggested something went wrong at the prior school. Now it’s more like a reward for success: like an NBA free agent earning the opportunity to be bid on in the open market.
 
I don't really think that's what people are fretting over.. missing a guy that they think is going to be some 20pt/night stud. I think instead it's many of us seeing Kentucky get turned down, quite a bit. Maybe the realization that this NIL era is going to be quite different.

Again, there's still time. I won't say it's "early", but were not in any sort of danger zone. We DO have 4-5guys coming back, 3 incoming recruits, and 1 transfer... it's very possible we might only get 2-3 more transfers.
Maybe it is the zoom meeting. Maybe UK stops really going after a guy because the interview is not worth the follow up to this staff. Most of these guys were option 1 on their teams. Pope does not really have a ball dominate guard offense. So if they guy says something like I have to have the ball in my hands, I expect to get at least 20 shots a game... then the staff finishes and stops at that point. Not sure every guy we "MISS" on is on that player. It could be our staff as well.
 
Maybe it is the zoom meeting. Maybe UK stops really going after a guy because the interview is not worth the follow up to this staff. Most of these guys were option 1 on their teams. Pope does not really have a ball dominate guard offense. So if they guy says something like I have to have the ball in my hands, I expect to get at least 20 shots a game... then the staff finishes and stops at that point. Not sure every guy we "MISS" on is on that player. It could be our staff as well.

Yep, that's a very good point. Other schools might be telling these guys what they want to hear, and essentially lying to them.

As this portal process gets messier and messier.. I'm finding myself.. starting to like the idea of freshman again? Like, thats one big positive going into next year: we actually have some high-end talent coming in, that rank higher than anyone we had on our team this year (outside of maybe BG). And, no.. we can't say they will be studs day 1. But I like the prospect of finally having some guys who will likely be among the best at their position, at some point.

Maybe thats how we have to play this.. still hit the recruiting trail hard for the elite guys, and the transfer portal is more for fill in. It seems to me that Kentucky (and other big schools) can still hit the recruiting trail harder than most other schools (who don't have the budget for travel, etc).. where as the transfer portal is just one giant free-for-all.
 
I don't really think that's what people are fretting over.. missing a guy that they think is going to be some 20pt/night stud. I think instead it's many of us seeing Kentucky get turned down, quite a bit. Maybe the realization that this NIL era is going to be quite different.

Again, there's still time. I won't say it's "early", but were not in any sort of danger zone. We DO have 4-5guys coming back, 3 incoming recruits, and 1 transfer... it's very possible we might only get 2-3 more transfers.
I want to see some commits as much as anyone, but none of us have enough information to say we are getting turned down quite a bit. Having a zoom meeting is about as little work as you can put into recruiting a player. They likely aren’t making an offer to everyone they talk to.
 
I don't really think that's what people are fretting over.. missing a guy that they think is going to be some 20pt/night stud. I think instead it's many of us seeing Kentucky get turned down, quite a bit. Maybe the realization that this NIL era is going to be quite different.

Again, there's still time. I won't say it's "early", but were not in any sort of danger zone. We DO have 4-5guys coming back, 3 incoming recruits, and 1 transfer... it's very possible we might only get 2-3 more transfers.
Which was the plan all along. Pope told Acaden months ago he would bring in 3-4 Portal guys. We don't need more than that assuming everyone who is currently on the roster comes back.
 
I want to see some commits as much as anyone, but none of us have enough information to say we are getting turned down quite a bit. Having a zoom meeting is about as little work as you can put into recruiting a player. They likely aren’t making an offer to everyone they talk to.
Well, maybe were turning down too many? (Again, this is all assumptions at this point).

But there will come a time where Pope is expected to make Final4 runs, and waiting for everything to fit perfectly, might mean were letting other prospects go. I understand the need to find the right guys, but I don't think this is the time or the era for Kentucky to lean into this notion of "you need us".. the game has changed. We might need to lie a bit, we might need to offer more money, and we may need to take some guys and not wait for "the right fit".
 
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I'm reading folks getting entirely wound up about these guys.

Remember, if these guys were can't miss they would likely be in the NBA draft or staying where they were. As someone stated: these guys are valuable pieces to a team, not superhero saviors.

I wish people would stop throwing the “elite” term around. “Elite” players are entering the NBA draft.
 
Chaz Lanier and Great Osobor were both by far their teams’ most valuable players as well as highest scorers. Johnell Davis was close. (Notably, all three were players we targeted in last year’s portal process who showed interest but ultimately wound up going to places who gave them more money than we offered.) And many other highly-rated portal players from last year were also absolutely make or break to the success their new teams wound up having this current season.

If that’s not “superhero savior” then I suspect “superhero savior” is probably just a rather meaningless term you made up for this thread.
 
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I wish people would stop throwing the “elite” term around. “Elite” players are entering the NBA draft.
It's wild that you don't understand that elite college players exist who will never play in the NBA.
 
It's wild that you don't understand that elite college players exist who will never play in the NBA.
This is kind of where the goal post move comes into place though. Mark Sears is clearly an elite college player, if he was on our team and we got blown out by Duke though people would be complaining about how he was too small and we need elite athletes to compete yada yada yada. No one will ever be happy until we have the best player at every position and even then we will want more kids from Kentucky or something else stupid.
 
Chaz Lanier and Great Osobor were both by far their teams’ most valuable players as well as highest scorers. Johnell Davis was close. (Notably, all three were players we targeted in last year’s portal process who showed interest but ultimately wound up going to places who gave them more money than we offered.) And many other highly-rated portal players from last year were also absolutely make or break to the success their new teams wound up having this current season.

If that’s not “superhero savior” then I suspect “superhero savior” is probably just a rather meaningless term you made up for this thread.

Osobor is a poor example. He got paid a lot of money to put up big numbers on a 13-18 team.
 
Chaz Lanier and Great Osobor were both by far their teams’ most valuable players as well as highest scorers. Johnell Davis was close. (Notably, all three were players we targeted in last year’s portal process who showed interest but ultimately wound up going to places who gave them more money than we offered.) And many other highly-rated portal players from last year were also absolutely make or break to the success their new teams wound up having this current season.

If that’s not “superhero savior” then I suspect “superhero savior” is probably just a rather meaningless term you made up for this thread.
And yet we beat Lanier 2 times and Davis was on a much better team with much worse Coach. Ky will be fine. To many Chicken Littles in Big Blue right now
 
If that’s not “superhero savior” then I suspect “superhero savior” is probably just a rather meaningless term you made up for this thread.
This OP sounds pretty much exactly like my post in the other similar thread. I even used the term "savior". Lol. Guess I should've copyrighted stuff.
 
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I remember how disappointed people were last year when Butler and Owen signed up and have realized that Pope seems to be good at identifying players for his system. So although interesting I don’t get too invested in this.
Right and they use analytical metrics for everything not just what we see on ESPN or mix tapes.
 
I'm reading folks getting entirely wound up about these guys.

Remember, if these guys were can't miss they would likely be in the NBA draft or staying where they were. As someone stated: these guys are valuable pieces to a team, not superhero saviors.
But we need a couple super hero saviors and yeah they can be found in the portal or landing ament. The portal will determine what kind of team we will have next year
 
I remember how disappointed people were last year when Butler and Owen signed up and have realized that Pope seems to be good at identifying players for his system. So although interesting I don’t get too invested in this.
Neither of those guys are the type of player pope normally would recruit. I feel like there was someone else recruiting once cal was canned or whatever you want to call it.
 
Chaz Lanier and Great Osobor were both by far their teams’ most valuable players as well as highest scorers. Johnell Davis was close. (Notably, all three were players we targeted in last year’s portal process who showed interest but ultimately wound up going to places who gave them more money than we offered.) And many other highly-rated portal players from last year were also absolutely make or break to the success their new teams wound up having this current season.

If that’s not “superhero savior” then I suspect “superhero savior” is probably just a rather meaningless term you made up for this thread.
We have not lost a player over money. Nor will we.
 
It's wild that you don't understand that elite college players exist who will never play in the NBA.
Oscar says, "hold my beer." You are so correct. Many elite college kids can't smell the NBA. A ton get drafted high but never stay for second contract that really indicates they have made it to the NBA. I'm hoping Reed Shepard is not one of these. I watched a little of the Lakers game last night. The super duper shooter from Tennessee got 3 minutes and looks like a boy among men with his basketball skills needed for NBA.
 
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Oscar says, "hold my beer." You are so correct. Many elite college kids can't smell the NBA. A ton get drafted high but never stay for second contract that really indicates they have made it to the NBA. I'm hoping Reed Shepard is not one of these. I watched a little of the Lakers game last night. The super duper shooter from Tennessee got 3 minutes and looks like a boy among men with his basketball skills needed for NBA.
Knect is a volume shooter and that's been the key to his success. He can't defend worth a flip which is why the Lakers have already tried to trade him.
 
Knect is a volume shooter and that's been the key to his success. He can't defend worth a flip which is why the Lakers have already tried to trade him.
He most likely will not see a second contract. Wasn't he a late first round pick? Talent evaluation is hard for the NBA guys also.
 
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I don't really think that's what people are fretting over.. missing a guy that they think is going to be some 20pt/night stud. I think instead it's many of us seeing Kentucky get turned down, quite a bit. Maybe the realization that this NIL era is going to be quite different.

Again, there's still time. I won't say it's "early", but were not in any sort of danger zone. We DO have 4-5guys coming back, 3 incoming recruits, and 1 transfer... it's very possible we might only get 2-3 more transfers.
4 minimum from portal. No way Pope is short handed on the bench or has injuries derail next season.
 
12 of the top 50 transfers have already committed with us having one of 12 in Williams
 
This OP sounds pretty much exactly like my post in the other similar thread. I even used the term "savior". Lol. Guess I should've copyrighted stuff.
Sorry, I nearby verify that you have full right and privilege to the word "savior" in this entire thread.
 
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I'm reading folks getting entirely wound up about these guys.

Remember, if these guys were can't miss they would likely be in the NBA draft or staying where they were. As someone stated: these guys are valuable pieces to a team, not superhero saviors.
I get what you are saying, and sort of agree with it, but at the same time disagree with it. A LOT of very good college players simply aren't NBA players, often but not always are "flawed" like being too short for their position in the NBA, but sometimes it's something else.
The best example is 30+ years ago, Mashburn had to share the SEC POY with McCaffrey of Vandy. And McCaffrey was damn-good. But he couldn't get a sniff in the NBA, not even 2nd round pick. More recently there was MKG, couldn't shoot so flopped in NBA, but very good at UK. Ulis too short for NBA, AA as a Soph at UK. Oscar 2-time AA, can at best get 10 day contracts in NBA.
 
12 of the top 50 transfers have already committed with us having one of 12 in Williams
That top 50 will change over the next couple of weeks, with guys still entering it.
But having 8% of the committed is pretty good, at least is not bad.

One thing many are not considering (when they panic) is that there will be as you say 50+ quality guys that transfer, we DO NOT have to get all 50, or 40, or 30, or 20, or even 10. We just need 4 or 5 of them. One of which we already have.
 
So far UK hasn't missed on anyone I really wanted and Payne was one of the ones I really wanted from the start and Gwath is another I wanted from the start and I like Demary as well as any guards that have been in the portal yet. Things are looking pretty good to me.
 
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