Rupp Rafters UK Basketball Draft (Complete)
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Ralph Beard
Vernon Hatton
Johnny Cox
Tom Parker
LeRon Ellis
Larry Conley
Jim Master
Chris Mills
Deron Feldhaus
Rodney Dent
Every older fan I’ve ever met has told me that Ralph Beard was the best PG they ever saw at UK. They, & tons of media/analysts, have also said that Beard would’ve thrived in the modern era. If not for the scandal, many believe that Beard might’ve been in the discussion for PG GOAT. Crazy he wasn’t drafted. Same for Cox.
Vernon Hatton
Johnny Cox
Tom Parker
LeRon Ellis
Larry Conley
Jim Master
Chris Mills
Deron Feldhaus
Rodney Dent
Every older fan I’ve ever met has told me that Ralph Beard was the best PG they ever saw at UK. They, & tons of media/analysts, have also said that Beard would’ve thrived in the modern era. If not for the scandal, many believe that Beard might’ve been in the discussion for PG GOAT. Crazy he wasn’t drafted. Same for Cox.
Oh yes. Ashamed to admit I temporally forgot about Beard. I was thinking someone should have drafted him.....early.
I considered Grady and I just went with as many multi year guys as I could.
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Seems a lot of people were hesitant to take older talent. I took a couple, we will see how voting shakes out but I think young NBA talent will win over 3-4 year stat leaders but we will see. I chose a couple of all time great and popular Cats in Prince and Hayes and I’ll be surprised if I finish higher than 6 or 7th.
In all honesty, I looked up a lot on him. Once again wasn’t sure what he would offer. I felt the early 50s was a tough call.
Dale Brown
Dakari Johnson
Patrick Sparks
Rodrick Rhodes
Andrew Harrison
Kellan Grady
Marquis Estill
Jules Camara
Jason Parker
Jared Prickett
LeRon Ellis
Isaiah Jackson
Isaiah Briscoe
Ralph Beard
Wah Wah Jones
Nate Sestina
Davion Mintz
Jeff Brassow
Archie Goodwin
Andre Riddick
Dakari Johnson
Patrick Sparks
Rodrick Rhodes
Andrew Harrison
Kellan Grady
Marquis Estill
Jules Camara
Jason Parker
Jared Prickett
LeRon Ellis
Isaiah Jackson
Isaiah Briscoe
Ralph Beard
Wah Wah Jones
Nate Sestina
Davion Mintz
Jeff Brassow
Archie Goodwin
Andre Riddick
Ashton Hagans
Roger Harden
Richie Farmer
Larry Steele
A few players I considered.
Roger Harden
Richie Farmer
Larry Steele
A few players I considered.
M. Estill was someone I also thought about. I'm not 100% sure but thought I saw him in the crowd of old players at the end of BBM.
Roger Harden would have been great paired with Kenny Walker. They made the game look so simple.
Roger Harden would have been great paired with Kenny Walker. They made the game look so simple.
Yeah, tough balancing act trying to decide between who you think is the best player, best team fit, and who the voters like.
I thought about Beard, Cox, Conley, Master and Feldhaus. I eventually went with Dwight Anderson as my backup PG, to counter guys like Wall, Fox, Rondo and Turner.
My voting will be about 90% on how each drafted and put together a team and about 10% on your discussions about your team's strengths and weaknesses. I thought one poster here who I agree with most of the time (I read and remember more than I post) would draft more like I would but I guess his age (I think he's a decade or two younger) won out.
I did enjoy this drafting process and came at a time I wasn't busy. I had a vacation in the N. Car. mountains planned but canceled due to Helene.
I did enjoy this drafting process and came at a time I wasn't busy. I had a vacation in the N. Car. mountains planned but canceled due to Helene.
We should have established a rule where if you defeat another poster, you automatically get their votes for the rest of the tourney.
The 10 people who are doing this or everyone on the board? I stand by what I said.
I respect all of the old timers that built the foundation here but I’m sorry I would have to see (impossible) one of the old timers go head to head with the speed of a John Wall or De’arron Fox. Or the size and physicality of a Randle or Boogie. They might win it on fundamentals but just can’t see them matching up to the athleticism and conditioning of modern players.
That’s the issue I had, like how would those guys guard modern guards or forwards. Kinda a totally different game that is called way different now as well. It makes it really hard to say and that’s why more modern players always rule the drafts to me.
Appreciate the posts but put it over in the paddock forums plz.
Fox got buckets end to end in under three seconds. I have a feeling the old timers would light up cigarettes and just watch in awe.
Their main issue is how they were taught to guard and the things that aren’t called now would frustrate them. Guys get away with guaranteed travels to those guys every play almost. I think they would adjust and I believe some are better athletes than we give them credit for. Also like to see how they would be with modern training.
They’d all be like “What the hell is a gather step?”
The overall populace would definitely vote for the team with the best player I’d agree. Anyone who would see Jordan or AD would get more votes than they maybe should, obviously overall team dependent but I guarantee a study would show more picked them based on those guys if replaced with any other player.
@Fox2monk
I go to alerts and click on a previous post to post a new post and forgot that I had posted on Rafters. I’ve done that a few times lately and will clean it up, lol. Take care.
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I see where draftcat picked Bill Spivey. Most of today's fans probably don't know much about him. Adolph Rupp is coaching against his mentor Phog Allen. The game is widely hyped and is for the #1 ranking. It features the top 2 centers in college basketball, future NBA hall of famer Clyde Lovellette and UK center Bill Spivey. Spivey completely dominated Lovellette as UK won easily (and went on to an NCAA title). He was unfairly run out of college ball by the scandal. He maintained his innocence and if memory serves passed a lie detector test. He was then blackballed by the NBA. In exhibition games, he played even with Wilt Chamberlan. Draft Cat has an exceptional player even if he gets little respect.
Everything I'm read and learned about Spivey tells me if given the chance he'd be an All-Timer. Unfortunately he was given an unfair-shake by CBB and the NBA in a time where players had little ability to protest unjust decisions.
I don't think anyone would of been able to argue Spivey not being a top 5 pick in this UK draft... but getting him where I did in the 8th round is extremely disrespectful to the player he was. Ditto to Cotton Nash who was taken so late.
I was gonna draft Beard. But like I said, 1950s. From what I can remember of reading up on UK b-ball lore, Beard was a bad SOB.
Yep. I made a post in my first round matchup that I lost kinda talking about this. I had Cliff Hagan and Louie Dampier on my team but really the best we can do is read about those guys. How quick was he? How good a defender? It’s impossible to judge them when you haven’t seen them.. But on the flip side, I remember how I FELT watching Wall slice through defenders and Josie Meeks scoring his 54 points.
And how do you equate a guy like Hagan, a 6’4” pf to today’s game? He was one of the best to play at Kentucky, but at 6’4” he’d get eaten alive even just against a guy like PJ Washington. Can you say “ok this is an old guy so pretend he’s 6’8”?”
It might be interesting to set a limit to 1970 or 80 or whatever. I guess we’ll just have to do another draft and see how that goes 😁
I won't do this till the off-season but would you all be interested in an ALL-College Draft? I could even break it down by conference as well ALL-SEC, ALL-Big 10 you name it.
Just gives me many different ways I could shake up the drafts.
Just gives me many different ways I could shake up the drafts.
I love the all college drafts. The tough thing with those are the KY bias. Teams with the most ky players will win. I’d be open to an all time college draft without KY players included, even
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