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mgbako rumor

I don't understand what Mgbako brings to the table in terms of raising the ceiling.

He's a 3 or 4. He's not super athletic or a great defensive player. He's not a big time rebounder. He's not a good 3 point shooter to space the floor. When you watch his highlights, he's basically dunking the ball with little to no defense around him.

If he just WANTS to be at Kentucky as a depth piece, it's a really nice get. But I'd hope we still recruit over him.

If he's a 3: We've got Oweh and Kam.
If he's a 4: We hope to get Yaxel. Then you're hoping to get Foliegueras or TBB.
 
I know people don't seem to be too high on him, but if he wants to come here and be a Cat, I'll support him. I'm sure Pope could make him a solid contributor.
 
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I'm honestly not trying to be an a$$hole here but can you honestly say that he's an upgrade over anyone we had on the roster this year at his position?
Mack was overrated in a bad class and has been a disappointment at a program that was a mess(he no doubt contributed to that).

But there’s no comparison between him and Ansley.

Love Ansley the person and when he was hitting his corner 3s. But he’s nowhere near the basketball player Mack is
 
15 scholarships, guys. He will be a bench piece. Chill. IU was a toxic culture and everyone knew it. Woodson and staff did nothing and never interacted with players. Culture matters.
 
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Mack was overrated in a bad class and has been a disappointment at a program that was a mess(he no doubt contributed to that).

But there’s no comparison between him and Ansley.

Love Ansley the person and when he was hitting his corner 3s. But he’s nowhere near the basketball player Mack is
But do you really see him coming to UK to be a bench piece like Ansley did?
 

There’s this for RJ Luis as well
This is a fake twitter account. The profile photo is the head of a stock photo that's titled "Senior African American Man" photoshopped onto another person's body. Plus, the tweets on the actual account are pretty ridiculous.

This is one of the tweets on that account. A white guy on the beach, but the "profile" photo on the account is a black guy

 
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15 scholarships, guys. He will be a bench piece. Chill. IU was a toxic culture and everyone knew it. Woodson and staff did nothing and never interacted with players. Culture matters.
Yeah. I would just hope we're still aggressively recruiting over him.

I don't want him to start. I don't know that I fancy him as a primary backup at any spot. Like, if you're telling me he's just happy to be on the team and we're still going for 2 more PF's--I think it's an amazing move.

Because we're getting him earlier than the better PF's--I hope it's not a sign that he's a locked in rotation piece.
 
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There is a difference between needs at IU and the needs at UK. IU is looking for a savior to come in and return that program to what it used to be. A coach or a MCD player. UK is looking for contributors to a program to win a championship. Mack does not have to be a savior here. He needs to contribute. He is a double figure scorer that can rebound and defend. Do those things when called upon and he will fit in nicely here.
 
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Mack was overrated in a bad class and has been a disappointment at a program that was a mess(he no doubt contributed to that).

But there’s no comparison between him and Ansley.

Love Ansley the person and when he was hitting his corner 3s. But he’s nowhere near the basketball player Mack is
I never have watched IU I have better things to do to be honest. According to a lot of UK fans and IU fans this guy is past horrible though and at least AA played and competed last year when he had the opportunity that's more than can be said for MM. I'm in this boat I have been frustrated since the season ended (I guess because I was sitting at the game in Indianapolis) I love Pope and still feel he's the right one for the position. If he picks this guy up and he wears the Blue and White I will cheer for him loudly. I honestly hope if he does then it's for a backup role on the bench and not a starting role.
 
A $1 million plus to come of the bench? Easy money🤣

Maybe he can pull a Kriisa, and miraculously get injured a game before he would be ineligible for a Medical RS, cheer his teammates on, and then bolt at the end of the season and take his NIL and extra year of eligibility with him.
 
I'll take the guy who is bigger and stronger and who averaged 12.2 a game each season in the Big !0 against real competiition as well as being the Big !0 Rookie of the Year over a guy who played at Robert Morris against no competition at all.
I think the Robert Morris kid does a lot of unique things and has more upside.

He's more athletic. He averages over a steal and a block per game. He had 1 steal and 1 block vs Alabama. He averages 3 assists per game. He shoots it well from 3. He's a better rebounder--averaging 9 per game. You can point to competition level, but he had 10 vs Alabama.

MgBako is vanilla. Folgueiras is Rocky Road. Vanilla is always "safe." But I think we need to go for the higher upside to get where we want to be.
 
If you’re a “Big fan of Pope”, why don’t you trust his instincts over your own?
Because Mgbako is said to have motor issues. Amari was said to have motor issues. We got toasted against ut because we didn't get boards – maybe partially attributable to motor issues across the board. I'd prefer to not have someone with motor issues.

Again, I'll happily eat crow if he turns out to be a stud.
 
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The real question here is why has so many of our “fans” watched every game the guy has played in if he was at IU. 🧐

I have watched maybe 1-2 IU games in the past 5 seasons……

Watch for the constant criticism and who it comes from, then things around here will make more sense.
 
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Is it fair to say we're recruiting these 3 guys for the same single spot?

Alvaro Folgueiras
Taylor Bol Bowen
Mackenzie Mgbako


If so, the order I've got them is the order I'd rank them.
That is how I would rank them also, and there is a gap between Folgueiras and Bol, and then another gap between Bol and Mgbako.

To me signing Mgbako looks like Pope giving up on getting 2 good PFs, and just settling on someone willing to come.
 
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Because Mgbako is said to have motor issues. Amari was said to have motor issues. We got toasted against ut because we didn't get boards – maybe partially attributable to motor issues across the board. I'd prefer to not have someone with motor issues.

Again, I'll happily eat crow if he turns out to be a stud.
Big difference in Mgbako and Williams, regardless of "motor issues" or not, Williams had a history of producing (DPOY in his league, multiple years near 10 rpg). Mgbako is like, well kissing your sister. You look at his stats, and NOTHING impresses. The best is 12ppg, but those were not efficient points (41% & 32%).
 
We have 9 players already and need multiple starters I just don’t know where Mgbako fits. Only so many minutes to go around and barring injuries most teams go 10 deep at the most. Who on this team currently are gonna be happy being 11-15 for minutes? Who are we in contact with in the portal that’s looking to be 12th in line for minutes? Perry is the obvious one and he may be ok with that maybe even Noah as well. Seems to me to get better depth we have to lose depth we have.
 
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All of the better players we want now and they are threatening to fill a spot with a guy like we could get a month from now. Why????? Maybe these coaches can't recruit SEC level talent? We already have enough 'role' players already on the roster. We need five big talents to go with all the role players we already have. We didn't want Hall bad enough. Messing around with Alvaro and Bailey that are 10 times better than this guy. Didn't want Freeman bad enough. And the list goes on. I would rather have the 7-3 guy over this guy. At least he can give you something defensively around the rim. The FL St guy that visited even looks more dependable. I thought we was done having to coach intensity and effort. One of our problems Pope's first year. So many teams wanted it more than us. And now they are possibly bringing in a guy like one of the problems we had?
 
Williams played at Drexel, MM played in the Big 30. Was Williams that this year at UK as he was at Drexel ? There is your reason. Not saying MM is a stud, but a different coach / style of play can do a player wonders.
 
A $1 million plus to come of the bench? Easy money🤣

Maybe he can pull a Kriisa, and miraculously get injured a game before he would be ineligible for a Medical RS, cheer his teammates on, and then bolt at the end of the season and take his NIL and extra year of eligibility with him.
Arent You Just Sick And Tired Of Being You Pretty Little Liars GIF
 
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15 scholarships, guys. He will be a bench piece. Chill. IU was a toxic culture and everyone knew it. Woodson and staff did nothing and never interacted with players. Culture matters.
We (nor any team) will be having 15 players on scholarship good enough to play for a P5 school. 12, maybe 13 at most. And even then the last couple will be in-state kids. Exception is if you are willing to PAY those guys below #10 six-figures.
 
I'd love to know what the staff sees in Mgbako. I've watched a lot of Indiana basketball over the last two seasons and Mgbako never impressed me. He seemed too slow as a three and not physical enough for a four. His lack of effort seemed laughable. In a lot of cases he just seemed lost out there. He can be a shot chucker at times from three as well. Midrange game is decent, but is that the shot you wanna be taking in modern basketball? I'm trying to believe in the staff, but I don't see the vision when it comes to Mgbako.
He comes cheap compared to other players. Pope must be a big fan of Billy Beane since he seems to be taking same approach putting his roster together
 
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The real question here is why has so many of our “fans” watched every game the guy has played in if he was at IU. 🧐

I have watched maybe 1-2 IU games in the past 5 seasons……

Watch for the constant criticism and who it comes from, then things around here will make more sense.
I live in IU country. Saw plenty of games on tv.
 
Had 31 in IU’s opener. Had 25/5 at Purdue. Several games of 20+ and games where he struggled. To me, that proves the potential is there. Pope needs to unlock it.

Everyone hated the Kriisa pickup last year, too. Then people fell in love with him and blamed his absence in part for the downfall of UK’s season potential.
 
A $1 million plus to come of the bench? Easy money🤣

Maybe he can pull a Kriisa, and miraculously get injured a game before he would be ineligible for a Medical RS, cheer his teammates on, and then bolt at the end of the season and take his NIL and extra year of eligibility with him.
You are a 🤡
 
He comes cheap compared to other players. Pope must be a big fan of Billy Beane since he seems to be taking same approach putting his roster together
If it's all about cost, then why not take a stab at a mid major player? Mgbako is supposedly getting paid around 1 mil to come here. How is that good value? We can do better for that price imo.
 
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A $1 million plus to come of the bench? Easy money🤣

Maybe he can pull a Kriisa, and miraculously get injured a game before he would be ineligible for a Medical RS, cheer his teammates on, and then bolt at the end of the season and take his NIL and extra year of eligibility with him.
Burnie Burns Conspiracy GIF by Rooster Teeth

Always Sunny Reaction GIF
 
I'll take the guy who is bigger and stronger and who averaged 12.2 a game each season in the Big !0 against real competiition as well as being the Big !0 Rookie of the Year over a guy who played at Robert Morris against no competition at all.
Then you would be a fool.
12ppg is meaningless without the full story. I'm 55, can't jump, but could score 12ppg with enough shots.

52.6% vs 61.9% (2pt FG) - not close
32.9% vs 41.3% (3pt) - not close
81% vs 78.4% (FTs) - comparable
4.6 vs 9.1 (rpg) - not close at all
12.2 vs 14.1 (ppg) - comparable
0.5 vs 1.2 (bpg) - not close
0.3 vs 1.4 (spg) - not close
1.1 vs 3.2 (apg) - not close
Add to all that, several have reported that Mgbako doesn't "go hard" or play good defense.
He is a HARD "NO"!!
 
If pope is going after mbako is that a sign Oweh is going to the draft? If Oweh was going I’m sure pope would ask him to hold back on announcement.
 
If pope is going after mbako is that a sign Oweh is going to the draft? If Oweh was going I’m sure pope would ask him to hold back on announcement.
I don't see the link.
Oweh is a 2/3, Mgbako is a 3/4.
Oweh is a definite starter if he returns, if Mgbako starts we are in trouble.
Also, why would Pope ask him to hold back on announcement, you would think he would want it announced so that players know there are more open minutes, including to be the #1 scoring option.
 
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