Well, if you're going to count every inch, Washington and Travis are both 6'8, and UK has Richards (7'0) and Montgomery (6'10).
For Kansas, Azubuike is 7'0, Lawson is 6'9, De Sousa is 6'9, and McCormack is 6'10, and Lightfoot is 6'8.
Kansas has a bigger frontcourt, but Kentucky's is much more skilled, and overall, will be the better rebounding and offensive frontcourt.
This is to also go along with the fact that UK's backcourt will probably crush the Kansas backcourt. The Kansas backcourt is wildly unimpressive.
KJ Lawson is projected to start at the 3.
12.3 PPG, 8.1 REB, 2.8 AST in 34 minutes per game when he played at Memphis. Shot less than 40% from the floor on 12 shots per game, less than 33% from 3. Keldon Johnson will basically take his soul from him.
Marcus Garrett is in the running to start the 2. Also horrible.
4.1 PPG, 3.4 REB, 1.1 AST in 19 minutes per game last season, shot a decent 45.6% from the field, but shot 49% from the free throw line, and 27% from the 3 point line. He's only a decent, but unspectacular defender. Non-threat.
Charlie Moore is projected to be the starting PG. Played a year at Cal before transferring to Kansas. Played 29 minutes per game at Cal.
Averaged 12.2 PPG, 2.0 REB, 3.5 AST, and 2.9 TOV per game. Shooting splits of 38.8% from the field, 35.2% from 3, and 75.6% from the free throw line. So basically, a guard that can't shoot at all, and is an absolute turnover machine, is going to lead your backcourt. Yep. Once again, not a threat.
Then you have Grimes and Dotson. A couple of 5 star guys. Well, Self doesn't let freshmen run PG, so I don't figure that these guys will be a factor. Beyond that, Grimes was the 4th best guard for Team USA at best. Maxey, Anthony, and White were all better than he was, and it was very clear, too.
All this talk about how bad our team shot this year, this Kansas team is going to be absolutely pitiful shooting the ball, and I can't imagine a Bill Self team being that great if they're so poor offensively. Dedric Lawson is their only real source of offense, and he produced similar stats to the guy that they're downplaying, except Travis has played in a better conference his entire career, and Lawson played for a dumpster fire mid-major program (which he and his brother were the center of much of the controversy to come out of that dumpster fire program).
"Kansas has a bigger frontcourt, but Kentucky's is much more skilled, and overall, will be the better rebounding and offensive frontcourt."
"Much more skilled" is not true. Udoka and Lawson are two players who can compete for 1st team AA this year. No one in Kentucky's frontcourt with the exception of Reid can say that. If I were to rank production next year it would be:
1. Udoka, 2. Lawson, 3. Reid, 4. PJ Washington and De Sousa, 5. Montgomery, 6. McCormack, 7. Lightfoot, 8. Richards.
"KJ Lawson is projected to start at the 3.
12.3 PPG, 8.1 REB, 2.8 AST in 34 minutes per game when he played at Memphis. Shot less than 40% from the floor on 12 shots per game, less than 33% from 3. Keldon Johnson will basically take his soul from him."
KJ Lawson is 6'8 to Johnson's 6'6. He has played against college competition and is not going to run out there and throw up freshman stats in his third year of college. That's simply preposterous. He was a top 55 player coming out of high school. Those players improve and make impact in college. He wasn't some scrub.
"Marcus Garrett is in the running to start the 2. Also horrible.
4.1 PPG, 3.4 REB, 1.1 AST in 19 minutes per game last season, shot a decent 45.6% from the field, but shot 49% from the free throw line, and 27% from the 3 point line. He's only a decent, but unspectacular defender. Non-threat."
MG is a great defender and his role last year was not to be an offensive threat so those stats mean nothing. Look for him to be more aggressive driving the basket and hitting his mid-range. At 6'7, he's a size advantage at the 2G against Kentucky's guards.
"Charlie Moore is projected to be the starting PG. Played a year at Cal before transferring to Kansas. Played 29 minutes per game at Cal.
Averaged 12.2 PPG, 2.0 REB, 3.5 AST, and 2.9 TOV per game. Shooting splits of 38.8% from the field, 35.2% from 3, and 75.6% from the free throw line. So basically, a guard that can't shoot at all, and is an absolute turnover machine, is going to lead your backcourt. Yep. Once again, not a threat."
Again, D1 experience. His stats at Cal won't be representative of his stats under Self where he will not be allowed to be a volume shooter or be able to take bad shots without taking a seat on the bench. Also, he is NOT projected to be the starting point guard.
"Then you have Grimes and Dotson. A couple of 5 star guys. Well, Self doesn't let freshmen run PG, so I don't figure that these guys will be a factor."
This is simply a myth. Self plays talent over experience when the talent is actually greater than the experienced player. There is a long list going all the way back to Chalmers, our freshman starting point guard.
"Beyond that, Grimes was the 4th best guard for Team USA at
best. Maxey, Anthony, and White were all better than he was, and it was very clear, too."
Stats don't lie. Neither does his MVP trophy.