We'd be blessed to land any of the remaining targets, and I'd argue that landing even Askew puts us in a great position next year, even if you land decent but not great bigs. I think Brooks might actually return in a scenario where he'd be a focal point on the interior next year (thus, if UK landed one of the remaining elite bigs in Brown and Banchero, but not both). A core of Askew, Quickley, Clarke, Boston, and Brooks would be pretty incredible.
That said, if this thing goes to the next level and UK somehow adds an elite big to go along with Cunningham (I'm not on the space shuttle of hopes and dreams yet), Kentucky will likely do what last year's Duke team was supposed to do by at least making the Final Four (beyond that, who knows what can happen). For one, the pieces would fit together better than the ones in Durham did last year. A Cunningham/Askew backcourt, with a Clarke/Boston/Fletcher/Allen wing collection and Banchero/Brooks/Ware down low (probably plus one more interior player to be named later)?
That's an insane amount of talent and actually fits together better than anything we've seen since maybe the 2012 team (the 2015 team didn't have the type of wing forwards that a Clarke/Boston/Fletcher/Allen quartet would give Cal, even when Poythress was healthy). The depth would be Final Four level, and the front end talent would be right up there with what we saw in 2010 and 2012, maybe even better.
I really think Cal wants that second title before the OAD rule changes. Not that he can't win without it, but that he is privately seeking some vindication as the undisputed greatest OAD coach ever (he's already there, in my view, but this would shut down the Coach K contrarians). A national title with five freshmen starters would be just the thing to catapult him into that realm.
That said, if this thing goes to the next level and UK somehow adds an elite big to go along with Cunningham (I'm not on the space shuttle of hopes and dreams yet), Kentucky will likely do what last year's Duke team was supposed to do by at least making the Final Four (beyond that, who knows what can happen). For one, the pieces would fit together better than the ones in Durham did last year. A Cunningham/Askew backcourt, with a Clarke/Boston/Fletcher/Allen wing collection and Banchero/Brooks/Ware down low (probably plus one more interior player to be named later)?
That's an insane amount of talent and actually fits together better than anything we've seen since maybe the 2012 team (the 2015 team didn't have the type of wing forwards that a Clarke/Boston/Fletcher/Allen quartet would give Cal, even when Poythress was healthy). The depth would be Final Four level, and the front end talent would be right up there with what we saw in 2010 and 2012, maybe even better.
I really think Cal wants that second title before the OAD rule changes. Not that he can't win without it, but that he is privately seeking some vindication as the undisputed greatest OAD coach ever (he's already there, in my view, but this would shut down the Coach K contrarians). A national title with five freshmen starters would be just the thing to catapult him into that realm.
