RJ Barrett Decision Date
- Thread starter harlanhomeboy
- Start date
The fact that Cal has great success getting these kids ready for the NBA, that we have his friend SGA, and the fact that Duke already has Reddish, means it should be an open and shut case. Really a head-scratcher if he picks Duke.
I can't agree with this. I don't care about rankings so much. It comes down to this: what Freshman class would you rather have?
Duke or Kentucky's incoming class?
The way 2018 is shaping up, I say we have a better group of Freshman next year as well.
There is no doubt we are painfully young going into the season and some will question outside shooting, but I'm not trading our 13 man roster for any other in the country straight up. The BBN is in for a fun ride this year.
I know it sounds old but Zion Williamson is the best I've seen at his age. He is as big as LeBron James and will dominate in Lexington.
I've seen this comparison between this kid and Lebron on this board. Is it somewhat accurate or wishful thinking by us? Bron had incredible vision and could run a team from the point. His passing skills at that age was what amazed me. Is Zion anywhere near Lebron at skills or is the kid simply a large body that can move fluidly and dunk with the best? Lebron had a decent mid range jumper too, is Zion comparable there?
Tend to agree with this, though I am not sure how great either will be in the pros if they don't develop consistent jump shots.
Williamson is going to bully his way through a great college career (for one year). Barrett is going to "out athlete" everyone in his one year. Neither will be able to do that in the pros.
Barrett has the higher ceiling, though. He will likely play SG in the pros and has great size for that spot. Just has to get his jumper working and improve his handles a bit to be a legitimate All-Star level SG.
Williamson seems to be an undersized PF right now. Needs to prove he can shoot the 3 in order to play SF in the pros.
But in college, Williamson can be insane. At 6'7-6'8, 240 lbs with his handles... he will be hard to guard.
I would like to get them both, but would take either and smile. Just hope we don't strike out with both.
You make one little thread about another guy puke and uk are recruiting and the 4 devil fans that aren't banned come out. Thanks op! I don't want to think it but if he goes to puke I'll puke myself. K can't retire quick enough for capel to show off his stellar coaching abilities
There's never a wrong time for a Shawshank Redemption quote.
I don't think this is fair or accurate. There are plenty of former Duke players in the NBA, and some have been stars. I don't feel any jealousy toward Duke or Krzyzewski. Don't need to. UK has the top college basketball program in the country. But no coach will ever sign every star high school player on his list.
The "good as LeBron" is always hyperbole, because I believe LBJ is the best player this game has ever seen. But, Zion Williamson will be unguardable in college. This kid will basically score when he wants to.
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anon_q409idbs5m40a
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We recently hired a consulting company from Atlanta to do some engineering work at our plant and the Project Manager is a Clemson Grad originally from South Carolina. He actually knows Zion Williamson's family and said he's getting a lot of pressure within the state to stay home and that's why Clemson was in the mix to begin with. Said the kid really does want to leave the state so it does sound positive for UK. Take it for what it's worth.
I mean, if they get tre jones, barrett and reddish, we'd have to hit on essentially all of our big targets for it to even be a question of which class is better. So yeah, if they get Barrett, probably going to rather have their class than whatever we end up with.
No doom and gloom until the classes are completed.
Also, I really don't care who has the top class.
We will have a top 5 class and that is all that matters recruiting wise.
But all I am really worried about is having a better team than Duke (and everyone else) next season.
We will return more players than they will. They should lose their entire starting five and have very little on the bench returning. They will be even more Freshmen reliant next season than this one.
Duke has to have the best guys or they are in trouble. They will have no Seniors on their squad. Junior Bolden will be their veteran leader and he hasn't shown us anything yet.
K needs to have those three studs, plus a couple more if he wants to compete next season.
No doom and gloom here. Like I said, it's still Duke and us, then everybody else. Just think if Duke lands Barrett, they're objectively half a notch above us.
Disagree that having a top 5 class is "all that matters". We're in all likelihood going to be top 5 regardless of if we get Barrett, but landing him would obviously add a lot to our team.
For the same reason you can't doom and gloom about our class, you also can't totally project about what classes Duke/UK will need to comprise in order to be "competitive" next year.
It has come down to us and Duke pretty much cherry-picking the top 10 players every year. Then we can argue who got the best players.
I have posted ad nauseum that I believe Williamson > Barrett. I am also now in the belief that Cal will pul in Bol. ZW, Quickley, Bol is better (IMHO) than any class the asshats in Durham put together
I wouldn't be surprised at all if Williamson ends up besting Barrett for their one year in college (or vice versa). The only thing that would slightly surprise me is if one is significantly better than the other. They're both the elite of the elite, and are going to be very good.
I think there's a general consensus on the elite players in this class: Barrett, Williamson, Reddish, and maybe Bol Bol. Like I said, if they get Barrett and Reddish, and we get Williamson and Bol, there's a question about which class is better. If we miss on either one and they land Barrett, I don't think there's a question.
Like you said, we need a couple of our top targets. We get Williamson and Bol and we are in really good shape with what we have coming back.
We aren't losing everyone after this season. It stands to reason that at least 3-4 guys return. Which ones will return is the hard part, but with Quickley, Williamson and Bol we just need some utility guys back.
We have as much star power as Duke with Williamson and Bol added to Quickley.
Williamson- #2 (composite ranking)
Bol- #3
Quickley- #8
Barrett-#1
Reddish- #4
Jones- #6
Not much difference there, based on rankings.
We have a good shot to add #14 (Johnson) or #16 (Grimes) and #33 (O'Neal).
With returnees like Green or Gilgeous-Alexander, Vanderbilt or Gabriel, Killeya-Jones or Wynyard, and Baker we will have a great roster.
Duke at the very best gets Trent and Bolden back plus DeLaurier and a bunch of 3 or 4-star guys that won't see the floor until they are Juniors. I figure Trent has a very good shot at being OAD. He'll start and play 30mpg for the Devils this season. Probably will bolt before K adds two more studs at his natural wing position. Bolden has been relegated to the bench with Bagley and Carter coming in. Wouldn't be surprised if he bolts before he gets recruited over again.
I think we will have the better squad in 2018-19. We will have equal talent and more experience and depth.
No worries about Duke. Now if we miss on Williamson, then I might start to get concerned.
If we get Zion and Bol Bol the guys we are heavily favored for. Just like Duke is favored for Barrett. You seem to think us getting the number 2 in the class and the number 3 in the class and we will get those 2. Zion is as much of a lock to us as Barrett is to them. Bol's other two schools are about to go down hard so we are pretty likely to get him as well. Already have the number 10 player in Quickly and if Barrett goes to duke u can almost guarantee we get number 14 Johnson. Most likely get the 27th ranked player in Oneal.
Now that gives us 2 top 5, 3 top 10, and 4 top 15. To go with at least four or 5 returning players. So no worries at all. Next season Duke is in trouble. Allen graduates Bolden was talked into not transferring this season and promised to be the focal point of the offense and K goes out and recruits over him immediately. So I will be surprised if he makes it to the semester before he Transfers. Carter projected top 10 in draft he is gone next season. Trent projected first round he is gone next season, Bagley I don't even have to say it. Duvall is gone too. meaning that Duke May barely edge us out for the one spot in the recruiting class and returns absolutely zero experience next season.
K struggled with youth this season and had a lot more experience then he will next. Even still if they get who they are favored for and we do as well. We still have the best class. Plus I'm like everyone else Barrett has more skill and potential as a pro Zion is more college ready. So we get miss on Barrett and maybe Vanderbilt comes back from injury and has an improved shot and we won't have any worries!
Thanks. I'm not gonna take the time to respond every detail, except to again say that it's too early to tell how the two rosters will shake out a year from now and which team will be "better". I'd personally rather have Barrett and Reddish than Williamson and Bol, but wouldn't be surprised at all if the latter ends up being a comparable (or even better) duo.
Pitino while at Louisville:
It's funny. On the outside, I was an honest man. Straight as an arrow. I had to come to this place to be a crook.
Would help to explain why he plans to wait until Spring.
If he commits to UK now, he has to deal with the locals who want him to stay in-state giving him grief everyday.
Keep Clemson on his list and everyone treats him well all season.
Monk should have done the same thing. Would have saved him from dealing with the backlash of choosing UK while playing his Senior year.
Tyus jones brother is the most overrated kid in this class IMO. I'd take quickly every day and twice on Sunday over that gunner! I admit I underestimated his brother---who played well in the ff, but his brother ain't close to tyus , not in the slightest....imo
Who said he plans to wait until Spring? I mean besides the schmoe in this thread.
![[eyeroll]](http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/img/emoticons/rolleye/rolleye0011.r191677.gif "Eye roll [eyeroll]")
)This wont age well. IQ is a player. The problem with your view is the dismissal of tre jones vs tyus. Tre is a killer just like tyus but longer, quicker, bouncier. Tre is also very efficient so I'm not sure where the gunner thing is coming from.
Youll also have an issue in h2h comps with IQ bc IQ will be one of 3 pgs and Tre will have the keys from day 1.
Again, both very good players but I think it sounds like this will be the second time you are underestimating a jones.
Hes waiting bc Adidas just lost their main guy to an arrest and they are scrambling and incentivizing all Adidas kids to just wait and not bail. Zion is THE Adidas guy so of course he's facing the most pressure to hold on.
There's also legit interest in uk and everyone is curious about how their roster will shake out. Hard to say who's going or staying right now and teams are seizing on that.
Make of this what you will but I just got a notification that Richards and Vanderbilt just began to follow Barrett on Twitter this morning.
I just read a quote from Williamson in an article TODAY that said November or December.
This goes for a lot of you- stop hanging on every word some bandwagon Duke tool passes on. In fact, put the little bit on ignore like I did.
Why this board is infested with those dbags is beyond me.
Who? Grant Hill? Elton Brand? Dunleavy? Any of the Plumlee gaggle? Battier?
Dont say Kyrie, because he didnt even play (and is an overrated selfish teamkiller anyway).
Giles? K likely ruined his career.
Honestly, Justise Winslow is probably the best Duke player in the NBA. A poor mans Scottie Pippen.
K gets his fair share. More than, actually. But his players having success in the NBA is just false.
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