What does everyone think that GG Jackson and Mackenzie Mgbako are the top 2 prospects now? Has Wagner leveled off?
New #1 2023 recruiting rankings
- Thread starter FLawLesS_NoLe
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The Duke Effect.
I'm thinking we land Wagner, Dillingham, and Edwards for sure (to go with Reed Shep), but need to add another big or two. Evans would be a big get, but not sure what bigs we're in on.
I'm thinking we land Wagner, Dillingham, and Edwards for sure (to go with Reed Shep), but need to add another big or two. Evans would be a big get, but not sure what bigs we're in on.
I thought it was stated that Wagner and Dillingham will not play on the same team?
DukeWhat does everyone think that GG Jackson and Mackenzie Mgbako are the top 2 prospects now? Has Wagner leveled off?
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I know I sound obsessed but why the hell is Bronny ranked within the top 100? If his name was Bronny Bumpkin, well first that would be oustanding but secondly he might be evaluated correctly. It's just insane he's seen as a top 100 player right now.
As for rankings and hype it's all political far too often. The fact that The Circuit came out and mentioned Bronny and KJ Evans for how they performed this weekend is embarrassing. It's okay to not mention players who stunk. It doesn't mean they'll be awful forever (Bronny aside, we know why he's ranked and it's got nothing to do with what takes place on the court--remember there were actual discussions about him/DJ Wagner 2 yrs ago) but you have to play well. When you shoot 1-16 and are benched due to how awful you've played, that's not worthy of recognition (Evans).
As for rankings and hype it's all political far too often. The fact that The Circuit came out and mentioned Bronny and KJ Evans for how they performed this weekend is embarrassing. It's okay to not mention players who stunk. It doesn't mean they'll be awful forever (Bronny aside, we know why he's ranked and it's got nothing to do with what takes place on the court--remember there were actual discussions about him/DJ Wagner 2 yrs ago) but you have to play well. When you shoot 1-16 and are benched due to how awful you've played, that's not worthy of recognition (Evans).
I remember watching one of BJ Boston’s high school games and Bronny got some clock in the blowout win…Bronny dunks the ball and the announcers about creamed their britches, over a simple dunk that most 6’3 basketball players could do. The hype for a kid rated this low is crazy
It was ridiculous. Look at this way, Sierra Canyon was getting their entire season covered and all their players were playing well and Bronny would throw a chest pass to a guy who would hit a 3 and that guy who calls the games with Biancardi would sound like he just had Allie LaForce and Malika Andrews just invite him to have a 3way.
Reed getting some love at #17, pretty impressive rise.
You have to remember none of that is his fault either. It's unfortunate they are doing that to him
They are the IT school right now. And people can sit there and says “we’re still cool” but we aren’t. We look rusty and rusty. We aren’t innovating. And that’s what Cal used to be really good at.
No longer.
I don't/never blame the player....but ESPN, Biancardi...do better. That Emrick guy is a goofy SOB too. I miss the old PBP guys they had, but happy for them they have real announcing gigs now instead of having to do HS games.
This is all cyclical. At some point people get sick of the "it school" and it'll be someone else. Kentucky having a cool uniform wouldn't hurt and love the designs I've seen from fans. Think they presented some outstanding options. Having cool players/buzz when they take the court....it's about having excitement around the program and that comes with having elite talent and turning them loose.
One thing I can say as an outsider that does resonate nationally, you are STILL KENTUCKY. That matters. Just more fun to watch when it's the main event level talent wearing the uniform and not the level of player who shouldn't even be visiting the campus, let alone playing for them.
We just need that IT player. We haven’t had that since Davis. Maybe KAT.
We have just been like a yawn fest since 2015. 2016-2018 got a little exciting. Then it went really south from 2019.
OH MY GOD. A normal thread on rafters. I should go to bed now.
Monk and Fox were pretty damn close. Definitely not as good but Fox was fantastic the entire year.
Sheppard up to 17! Hopefully he will make bank with NIL and be a 4 year player for us. He could be the kind of player that leads us to championships his junior and senior years.
6’8” athletic freaks will almost always get preference over a 6’2” scoring guard, and understandably so. But Wagner is a legit 3-level scorer. Whether he’s ranked 1 or 3 is irrelevant. He’s a stud.What does everyone think that GG Jackson and Mackenzie Mgbako are the top 2 prospects now? Has Wagner leveled off?
I don't follow recruiting much at all. There has been a lot of chatter on this board about Duke's amazing 2023 class they have already put together. I was surprised when I saw they have the 2nd, 14th, 21st and 26th ranked players. I honestly thought they must have been all top 10. Am I missing something or is the class what some are hyping it up to be?
After '15.... Murray had some buzz. The '17 team had a lot of hype/buzz with people due to loving Fox/Monk duo and throw in Bam.....was an exciting, fun team to watch. The amount of young guys who still talk of those 2 when they were at UK is cool. '18 had the most NBA talent Cal's had on one team but Vanderbilt was injured and never got that cool vibe...they should've had a run like UNC did to this year's Final Four.
'19 was a good team but their hype got pummeled by Duke's incoming class and then the pummeling they took from Duke. Just have to laugh that Herro/Keldon Johnson are more successful NBA players right now then Reddish, Barrett, Jones, and Zion. Will that hold up? We'll see but at this point Duke squandered that hyped team-arguably their most hyped/loved team since K's back to back teams in '91-'92.
It's not hard, want to be cool...get cool players. Nobody neutral or a recruit is sitting at home wanting to spend $ to see Wheeler/Mintz, etc.....
I pity the kid. He can’t live up to his dad no matter how good he is. Reminds me of Jordan’s kid. People were awful to him.
But haven’t been successful on the court since 15. And that was a gift to them.
This is a little different than that scenario though because Bronny has used his name to make a ton of $$$ and marketed himself outstanding. He is going to be successful no matter what. I completely remember how brutal it was for Jordan's kid--Marcus/Jeff or Geoff. whatever but they had it horrible being compared to him.
Bronny's embraced the hype--Dad is part of it--and as only ESPN can do, they contribute and just make things so weird and odd that it's sickening. As everyone has stated, not James fault, it's on the network.
And to show you how dominant and how much Kentucky basketball matters nationally and for the sport of CBB and #1 reason I love interacting with people here. That comment is said about a program that has done this in that timeframe:
'16 SEC Tournament Championship
'17 SEC Regular Season/Conference Tournament Champions Elite 8
'18 SEC Tournament Champions Sweet 16
'19 Elite 8
'20 SEC Regular Season Champs--we'll never know......
'21 Rancid Season that is worthy of all the negativity
'22 Good Bounceback but not UK standards
Gonna be fun to watch the Mikey Williams train wreck. That will be a cautionary tale of “the brand” coming before basketball. Gotta crawl before you ball Mikey.
C'mon now. They've made a Final Four. We haven't. When's the last time they only won 9 games in an entire season? I hate 'em, but they are on a trajectory right now that we just can't match.
Duke also has a 5 star top 10 guard in Tyrese Proctor but Rivals does not list international players.
A few of these will transfer out since a couple play the same positions. These were still recruited by Coach K even though they try to make it like their new coach is responsible for them. You start building relationships several years before they commit so I am sure Coach K did a lot of the recruiting. Wait 1 or 2 years down the road when Coach K is more out of the picture to see if this recruiting keeps up.
A little exciting you say?
Man, I think we had very good to great College players, Fox, Bam, Monk, Knox, Murray, Ulis, Brad , Quickley, Maxey, Washington, Washington again and Oscar! I really wish we had a few of those guys every year.
Not really sure how. They've actually been very comparable to us up to this point in the last 7 years- almost identical actually.
We’ve beat Duke once in four attempts under Cal. And once in 24 years.
We’ve lost 17 out of the last 20 head to head recruit battles.
