Next year , 15 scholarships

[Terrapin_Station]

Much better position heading into next season than this time 10 months ago. Lot of teams in the SEC will have complete rebuilds with the amount of 4th and 5th year seniors leaving. We very well may bring back the highest returning scorer in conference with Oweh + 4 other guys with experience. Add to that one of the single best freshmen classes in country with 3 5* or near 5* players.

Just need to get 4-5 extra players from portal or overseas market. Lot different than having to bring in 11 in a month.
Probably need a starting PF, PG, rotation wing, and a 4-5 switch that can compete for starting spot. Add in an extra developmental player or two just so you've got options with the inevitable injuries. I don't think Pope quite understood how physical and athletic the SEC is but he certainly does now.

bulk of minutes
Oweh
Jasper Johnson
Garrison
PTBNL PF
PTBNL PG
PTNBL 4-5

rotational players
Acaden Lewis
Malachi Moreno
PTBNL Wing

fighting for minutes / depth
Collin Chandler
Trent Noah
Travis Perry
Developmental PTBNL (1-2 elite traits, maybe raw in other areas) x1 or x2


Our staff prides itself on player development and I see no reason why Collin Chandler and Brandon Garrison can't both take a big leap this offseason. I see potential with Noah as well. Perry has things to work on but I think his biggest problem areas will be tough to improve on. His lack of length and defensive speed are hard to overcome.

Adding Ansley Almonor or Koby Brea is fantastic, just can't have half a roster of them. Finding players who can shoot and extend defense and play smart offensive basketball while also bringing athleticism and physicality and defensive ability will be the name of the game this offseason.

The type of player I'm describing will be a very hot commodity come portal season and so we will need to have our NIL in shape.

As of now we're well positioned. Lot to be determined though

Bulk of minutes going to Oweh, Garrions, and an unproven Jasper Johnson is scary as hell, ngl. And the rotational players including two unproven freshmen, but no returning players, is not a good thing.

Essentially, we're acknowledging that we have one good (not great) player back in Oweh, a player that we hope will be good in Johnson, and big whose career numbers are 6.5ppg and under 5rpg in Garrsion. After that, we're hoping Moreno is more than the project he appears to be and that Lewis gives us something. You'd think that Chandler, Noah, and Perry will come back with hopes of more than 10mpg.

Pope has serious work to do.

 

[SkyPrince1]

Bulk of minutes going to Oweh, Garrions, and an unproven Jasper Johnson is scary as hell, ngl. And the rotational players including two unproven freshmen, but no returning players, is not a good thing.

Essentially, we're acknowledging that we have one good (not great) player back in Oweh, a player that we hope will be good in Johnson, and big whose career numbers are 6.5ppg and under 5rpg in Garrsion. After that, we're hoping Moreno is more than the project he appears to be and that Lewis gives us something. You'd think that Chandler, Noah, and Perry will come back with hopes of more than 10mpg.

Pope has serious work to do.

Who gets the bulk of the minutes at Auburn next year?
Alabama?
Florida?
Ole Miss has one(Dia) of their top 7 returning.
Mass exodus of players from the SEC after the season.
It all boils down to who rebuilds their roster the best.
To me Oweh, Jasper, and Garrison is not a bad start.
Are we preseason top 5? Probably not.
Are we way behind roster wise from most of the SEC? No.

 

[WizardWCN]

We need about 4 quick point guards next year!!! Every other position can be fulled in with different looks, but you have to have 2 healthy points at all times. Shooting guards call play SF, SF can roll into PF, PF can roll into Center, Centers can come out to PF, PF move down to SF, SF can also play SG. you can go big with no SF, and play 2 PF and a Center, go small with no Center, ect. But this boad don't run without a point to start and STOP the action. in the SEC, probably need about 20 players to make it though the season, since the SEC goes by the playground rules, "no blood, no foul".

 

[pinecreek]

We need about 4 quick point guards next year!!! Every other position can be fulled in with different looks, but you have to have 2 healthy points at all times. Shooting guards call play SF, SF can roll into PF, PF can roll into Center, Centers can come out to PF, PF move down to SF, SF can also play SG. you can go big with no SF, and play 2 PF and a Center, go small with no Center, ect. But this boad don't run without a point to start and STOP the action. in the SEC, probably need about 20 players to make it though the season, since the SEC goes by the playground rules, "no blood, no foul".

Thought it was “ No autopsy, no foul”
KY needs to call every decent player returning to college bball and make some offers whether it’s legal or not. Everyone else is doing that to some extent.

 

[rivercatinfl]

Bulk of minutes going to Oweh, Garrions, and an unproven Jasper Johnson is scary as hell, ngl. And the rotational players including two unproven freshmen, but no returning players, is not a good thing.

Essentially, we're acknowledging that we have one good (not great) player back in Oweh, a player that we hope will be good in Johnson, and big whose career numbers are 6.5ppg and under 5rpg in Garrsion. After that, we're hoping Moreno is more than the project he appears to be and that Lewis gives us something. You'd think that Chandler, Noah, and Perry will come back with hopes of more than 10mpg.

Pope has serious work to do.

Personally I don't see Moreno being the man next year. I know you didn't say that but I think alot of people believe he will be. He's a good player but will need strength and conditioning to be competitive in my opinion. I've watched him play in HS. He will be very good and I'm glad we got him but we need more help than he can give us
We have to hope Pope and staff have there eyes on some bigs and a starting PG. just my opinion

 

[NociHTTP]

Personally I don't see Moreno being the man next year. I know you didn't say that but I think alot of people believe he will be. He's a good player but will need strength and conditioning to be competitive in my opinion. I've watched him play in HS. He will be very good and I'm glad we got him but we need more help than he can give us
We have to hope Pope and staff have there eyes on some bigs and a starting PG. just my opinion

I don't understand why so many kids don't bother bulking up / cutting up before their freshman year basketball season starts. It's like they think they're supposed to just commit and then start playing hoops. That needs to change if they want to be 1andDone and payed so much to play.

 

[Seth_C]

Bulk of minutes going to Oweh, Garrions, and an unproven Jasper Johnson is scary as hell, ngl. And the rotational players including two unproven freshmen, but no returning players, is not a good thing.

Essentially, we're acknowledging that we have one good (not great) player back in Oweh, a player that we hope will be good in Johnson, and big whose career numbers are 6.5ppg and under 5rpg in Garrsion. After that, we're hoping Moreno is more than the project he appears to be and that Lewis gives us something. You'd think that Chandler, Noah, and Perry will come back with hopes of more than 10mpg.

Pope has serious work to do.

I would love to know what you expected given Pope took over the program far too late to recruit most freshmen and had to rely on seniors and super seniors from the transfer portal. There was no other option. We were always going to be in this position, always. It was unavoidable.

 

[AJG-15]

15 scholarships will be important to :
1) have continuity in learning Pope system and efficiency. Pope said that for his t system to be effective he needs to rotate guys to keep them fresh:
2) prevent situation like this year where injuries are derailed the season;
3) give the chance every year to 2-3 boys from Kentucky to join the program and develop without the pressure of having to perform from day as a freshman. Willis and Hawkins come up in mind from more recent players.

 

[SkyPrince1]

15 scholarships will be important to :
1) have continuity in learning Pope system and efficiency. Pope said that for his t system to be effective he needs to rotate guys to keep them fresh:
2) prevent situation like this year where injuries are derailed the season;
3) give the chance every year to 2-3 boys from Kentucky to join the program and develop without the pressure of having to perform from day as a freshman. Willis and Hawkins come up in mind from more recent players.

1) Only works if the players actually stay and don't hit the portal after year 1 or 2.
2) Chandler, Perry, and Noah are 10, 11 and 12 and they haven't helped much with our injury issues. I don't think guys taking up the 13, 14 and 15 spots helping much if any in the future.
3) Who would you want out of the KY HS class of '25 besides Moreno?
Willis and Hawkins were takes with the scholly's at 13.
There's room to try to be creative with the new rule. I just think most years we won't use the full 15 unless we reward a walk-on player.

 

[AJG-15]

Perry , Noah are Kentucky boys that will get the chance to play 4 years for us. Their role will expand as they get better in time. If you add every year 2-3 players from Kentucky, last year we had two , this we got some more , you solve also the continuity issuue. A 4 start player born and raised die hard Kentucky fan, if it is not good enough to be selected by NBA after one year( like Reed) will gladly stick around if he has a full ride at his dream school .

Adding 13- 15 will solve in four years the madness of 90-100% roaster turnover we have right now and they all stick around if from Kentucky, that will give you eventually a roaster of 6-12 players from Kentucky at various stage at development and contributing and playing time. The natural selection process will take place and who needs to go will go , but in time you will develop a nice core of Kentucky born and raised players that will die to play for the wildcats.

That also will emulate the kids in state to play basketball. That’s exactly how Rupp build this program by selecting players from the state also, even having tryouts for it. Why reinvent the wheel , when we know that the concept works, and now we have the great opportunity to reconnect with our roots with 15 scholarships?

 

[SkyPrince1]

Perry , Noah are Kentucky boys that will get the chance to play 4 years for us. Their role will expand as they get better in time. If you add every year 2-3 players from Kentucky, last year we had two , this we got some more , you solve also the continuity issuue. A 4 start player born and raised die hard Kentucky fan, if it is not good enough to be selected by NBA after one year( like Reed) will gladly stick around if he has a full ride at his dream school .

Adding 13- 15 will solve in four years the madness of 90-100% roaster turnover we have right now and they all stick around if from Kentucky, that will give you eventually a roaster of 6-12 players from Kentucky at various stage at development and contributing and playing time. The natural selection process will take place and who needs to go will go , but in time you will develop a nice core of Kentucky born and raised players that will die to play for the wildcats.

That also will emulate the kids in state to play basketball. That’s exactly how Rupp build this program by selecting players from the state also, even having tryouts for it. Why reinvent the wheel , when we know that the concept works, and now we have the great opportunity to reconnect with our roots with 15 scholarships?

You won't win big with that philosophy in this decade.
There's not enough KY kids who can play at this level and I think you're mistaken about today's KY kids willing to sit for 3 for an opportunity to maybe play meaningful minutes in one.
That's why we have walk-ons.
Guys like Miller, Willis, Hawkins, Sheppard, Perry and even Noah didn't need UK to have 15 available rides for them to receive a scholarship.
If you are a player a notch below Perry and Noah , you should be a walk-on not on scholarship.
Tubby signed quite a few KY kids in his tenure.
How many of them panned out?
Blevins
Tackett
Carrier
Chiles
Stockton
Carter.
All accomplished little to nothing and that was with a 13 limit.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I think this would be my game plan:

First, make sure the guys that can come back are coming back. Oweh and Garrison, especially.

Probably recommend that Kriisa sit out the rest of the year, file for a medical redshirt, and come back healthy.

That gives us six guys with experience in the system.

With the 3 Freshmen, that makes 9, leaving us with six scholarships to hand out.

My top priorities would be a PG and PF. Preferably guys that can shoot and pass, of course, but also guys that can defend.

Next, we need a backup PF. If they change the eligibility rule and Almonor can come back, then that’s his spot.

Next, I get me a defensive minded big man to backup Garrison.

Then I try to find the best wing in the portal, preferably a shooter that can defend. Hopefully it’s a guy that can start or at least push Johnson for a starting spot.

Then I use the last spot to get a Freshman who expresses interest in staying four or five years to develop.

G Portal/Kriisa/Perry
G Portal/Johnson/Lewis
G Oweh/Chandler/Noah
F Portal/Portal/Freshman
F Garrison/Portal/Moreno

 

[R.O.T.Muckinfush]

Perry probably transfers... noah... not sure. I think he has the frame to be a contributer. Perry too short it seems, would be a star in D2 though.