1. Tyler Ulis will be improve as advertised. We've heard all summer about how far along Ulis has came following the final four, showing glimpses of some Allen Iverson in his game. I feel like we'll see some truth to that. This roster is built to spread the floor and use dribble penetration frequently to get points at the rim, or kick it out for an open 3. I think we'll see Ulis put up quite a few shots in the paint this season, but still be a knockdown 3 point shooter. Very excited to see his game.
2. Alex Poythress will improve his offense significantly. His freshman season, he shot 58% from the floor (and 41% from 3, but only in ~30 shots). Since then, his shooting has dropped. I attribute that to his role continuously changing. He came in, was a good shooter, slasher, and finisher, but an average defender. He seen less minutes in 2014 (played behind Randle), became a more stout defender, and was still a good slasher and finisher at the rim, but his shooting was down (possibly due to poor rhythm?), then there was last season, he played the small forward, and took a lot more mid-range jumpers than he's used to. I think his role changing as much as it has will serve as a tremendous advantage for Poy. I think him learning how to play the 3 to a degree, spending time as a starting 4 at one point, then at another point, coming off the bench as a 4 and more of an energy guy will be a good teaching point to him. I think he'll get back to shooting a 55% FG%, while being an elite defender. He's still probably going to be an average 3 point shooter, but he doesn't put up that many 3 point shots, so it's fine. He'll be very important to this team next season.
3. Charles Matthews could compete for the starting SF spot. When you look at the kid's frame, it's easy to tell that he could get up to 210# this season. I don't believe, not even for a moment, that he's 170#. He looks as if he's around 190 right now. Depending on if UK basketball started using Korem's high performance program, I think he could gain that muscle, and become that much more difficult to stop at the basket. He's an elite slasher and finisher at the rim with both hands, his shot has improved (and Ulis has taken note of such, believes Matthews will be an excellent player), and he's a terrific defender as it is. The development of his body could improve his finishing ability and his defense even further. Obviously Murray will see some run at the 3, but I think Matthews could definitely compete for the starting SF spot.
4. We're going to be very happy with the development of Marcus Lee. The guy is an energy guy that could elevate our defense, and rebounding to different heights. There are few people that are the caliber of athlete that Marcus Lee is. His length, athleticism, gain in muscle, and it being his time to shine will all come to fruition this season. in the 25 minutes or so that he'll see on the court, he will give us a completely different look defensively, and bring an electric energy to the team on both offense and defense. Excited to see him play.
5. A national title will depend on the 3 point shooting of Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray, and Mychal Mulder. These are the 3 guys that we expect to be at least 40% three-point shooters. All can coexist on the court at the same time, and very naturally, as Mulder grew up playing the small forward, Murray has played a significant amount of time at the shooting guard spot, and Ulis has always played the point guard. A lot of speed in this line-up, a lot of guys that do use dribble-penetration in their game, and can pass out to the open man, and a lot of guys that shoot the ball very well. Much like all national championship teams, we're going to need terrific shooters, and these 3 are those guys.
2. Alex Poythress will improve his offense significantly. His freshman season, he shot 58% from the floor (and 41% from 3, but only in ~30 shots). Since then, his shooting has dropped. I attribute that to his role continuously changing. He came in, was a good shooter, slasher, and finisher, but an average defender. He seen less minutes in 2014 (played behind Randle), became a more stout defender, and was still a good slasher and finisher at the rim, but his shooting was down (possibly due to poor rhythm?), then there was last season, he played the small forward, and took a lot more mid-range jumpers than he's used to. I think his role changing as much as it has will serve as a tremendous advantage for Poy. I think him learning how to play the 3 to a degree, spending time as a starting 4 at one point, then at another point, coming off the bench as a 4 and more of an energy guy will be a good teaching point to him. I think he'll get back to shooting a 55% FG%, while being an elite defender. He's still probably going to be an average 3 point shooter, but he doesn't put up that many 3 point shots, so it's fine. He'll be very important to this team next season.
3. Charles Matthews could compete for the starting SF spot. When you look at the kid's frame, it's easy to tell that he could get up to 210# this season. I don't believe, not even for a moment, that he's 170#. He looks as if he's around 190 right now. Depending on if UK basketball started using Korem's high performance program, I think he could gain that muscle, and become that much more difficult to stop at the basket. He's an elite slasher and finisher at the rim with both hands, his shot has improved (and Ulis has taken note of such, believes Matthews will be an excellent player), and he's a terrific defender as it is. The development of his body could improve his finishing ability and his defense even further. Obviously Murray will see some run at the 3, but I think Matthews could definitely compete for the starting SF spot.
4. We're going to be very happy with the development of Marcus Lee. The guy is an energy guy that could elevate our defense, and rebounding to different heights. There are few people that are the caliber of athlete that Marcus Lee is. His length, athleticism, gain in muscle, and it being his time to shine will all come to fruition this season. in the 25 minutes or so that he'll see on the court, he will give us a completely different look defensively, and bring an electric energy to the team on both offense and defense. Excited to see him play.
5. A national title will depend on the 3 point shooting of Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray, and Mychal Mulder. These are the 3 guys that we expect to be at least 40% three-point shooters. All can coexist on the court at the same time, and very naturally, as Mulder grew up playing the small forward, Murray has played a significant amount of time at the shooting guard spot, and Ulis has always played the point guard. A lot of speed in this line-up, a lot of guys that do use dribble-penetration in their game, and can pass out to the open man, and a lot of guys that shoot the ball very well. Much like all national championship teams, we're going to need terrific shooters, and these 3 are those guys.
