Ryan Lemond just said he's hearing PJ is closer to leaving than we think

[Willy4UK]

Fans did this to themselves. A lot of posts were stated and counted on him coming back as if it were already done. Fans are right that he should comeback, but after 2015, I have no expectations. He's in the draft now. He's more likely to stay than comeback

 

[RondoBaller21]

This is a joke if true. Cal can’t keep a player if his life depended on it. I think they need Washington, Green, Gabriel and Richards to stick around or we could be in for another long season. My excitement level for next year has disappeared with the possibility of returning nobody. Somethings gotta change.

 

[kyjeff1]

I have said this a week ago. He wants to go. Doesn't mean he will but he really wants to

That's not really earth shattering news. I think if we were to ask every kid who has ever bounced a basketball if they WANT to play in the NBA, I have to believe 99.9% would say yes.
Of course Washington WANTS to go pro, but there is a reality that he has to know. He doesn't get to just go to the NBA because he WANTS to.

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

Keep Green, Washington, Vanderbilt, Gabriel - Serious title contender

Lose one of those 4 - still a contender, should at least make E8

Lose two of those 4 - Possibly could make a run, but would take luck and some surprise performances

Lose three of those 4 - Basically this season

Lose all 4 - Little to no shot at making noise

 

[true blue1]

This must be why Cal is recruiting Reid Travis. Big time mistake PJ is making if he decides to stay in the draft.

 

[Born and raised Big Blue]

TJ is so slighted by fans. kid had 20 double double as a freshmen. PJ isnt even close

Not trying to slight him one bit. He was a stud. But to say you do not think PJ can come back and get 20 double doubles next year is not true. Jones and Jorts owned the glass his freshman year. Jones is one of my favorite cats.

 

[Jamal Mercer]

TJ is so slighted by fans. kid had 20 double double as a freshmen. PJ isnt even close

Boston, I don’t normally agree with you, but totally agree here. Jones was a monster as a freshman.

 

[ncaaky]

PJ disappeared in more games or more second halves than any player in recent memory. When he gives effort he is a good college player. But you have to play 40 minutes a game.

 

[USMC Cat]

Leaving to go.... where?

NBA isn't having him. He can go overseas if he doesn't want to stay at UK.

 

[Joneslab]

Agree. I just think that has ALOT to do with guys leaving...."it's hard." The one's that have stayed have done very well for the most part.

I think the reason Cal throws out the "it's hard at Kentucky" cliche is because it gives the UK program this air of exclusivity.

It's kind of a close cousin of "Kentucky isn't for everyone." I believe he's trying to express that these players are special, and that UK is different than most other programs.

All of these things have been part of the Pandora's box that's led us here. I think Cal tried to brand Kentucky as a sort of place you could only play for if you were a basketball savant, kind of like Harvard does on the academic side. In so doing, he's convinced a lot of not-so-special players (or players that COULD be special down the road) that they're special now.

I don't blame Cal, but I do think there are some unintentional consequences the get-to-the-NBA-as-quick-as-possible mentality have wrought. One being that you lose players who aren't close to being professionals.

 

[-BBH-]

He'll be back. Scoop only stated the obvious. He wants to go. Well hell, they all want to go. Doesn't mean there is an opportunity for them to go.

He isn't going to be drafted if he goes and he knows it. Next year's draft is soft. Come back, go to the Bahamas in August, win a ship. Bolt next year.

 

[kyjeff1]

PJ disappeared in more games or more second halves than any player in recent memory. When he gives effort he is a good college player. But you have to play 40 minutes a game.

Kevin Knox disappeared way more than PJ.

 

[Looksbetterinblue]

The NBA drafts on potential and a lot of teams can wait for kids to develop because roster sizes are smaller than most sports.
P.J. has a lot of potential. His dream is the NBA.
Fans need to stop indicting our culture, coach and program for the choices of the players. Cal’s job is to get the best talent he can and win games. They don’t all listen to advice or do what he thinks is best. Do your kids make all good decisions? Cal has to see the board and adjust from there. I believe the recent recruiting haul and the fact he is still at it is very telling about what he thinks or knows he is losing.

 

[gollumcat]

He's staying.

 

[CATofninelives]

The NBA drafts on potential and a lot of teams can wait for kids to develop because roster sizes are smaller than most sports.
P.J. has a lot of potential. His dream is the NBA.
Fans need to stop indicting our culture, coach and program for the choices of the players. Cal’s job is to get the best talent he can and win games. They don’t all listen to advice or do what he thinks is best. Do your kids make all good decisions? Cal has to see the board and adjust from there. I believe the recent recruiting haul and the fact he is still at it is very telling about what he thinks or knows he is losing.

I really didn't see much if anything "indiciting our coach" in this thread. Why can't anybody discuss ANYTHING here without being referred to as a hater? Good grief.

 

[Stonewall12]

Smart


The last game scouts saw you play you went 8-20
From FTs

Smart

 

[CatCall]

One or two of our guys have to go through the draft and sink to 2nd round or go undrafted and fail to do well for this to stop. They (and the pro teams) believe in Cal's magic elixir. (And based on real results, its hard to say it is "magic") So when you see so many of our guys do well... this is the result.

It also appears that the guys that stick around a couple of years don't achieve the same level of success, at least not immediately. So if you look at that way, a player can logically think "I can try getting drafted this year but waiting doesn't appear to enhance my stock so might as well go now and begin working my way in some way".

 

[Joneslab]

He'll be back. Scoop only stated the obvious. He wants to go. Well hell, they all want to go. Doesn't mean there is an opportunity for them to go.

Yeah, for my peace of mind this is what I choose to believe.

It's too beautiful outside to worry about the whims of a teenager. PJ's family seemed extremely rational when they first made their decision. They don't seem like the types of folks who would go off and do something crazy even if they got bad info.

And I do think they're going to get bad info (for them). I like PJ a lot and think he can be a college star, but he's a walking turnover. The ability to drive the ball from every position is the new NBA. PJ can't do that (yet).

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

It also appears that the guys that stick around a couple of years don't achieve the same level of success, at least not immediately. So if you look at that way, a player can logically think "I can try getting drafted this year but waiting doesn't appear to enhance my stock so might as well go now and begin working my way in some way".

Same level of success as AD, Cousins, Wall, Booker? That's a given. If they were that good, they would be OAD. But we have many multi-year players in the league.

 

[Grafenberg]

If Gabriel, Washington or Vanderbilt decide to leave this year, they are dumber than dog shit and have no real dream to play in the NBA, because none of them will. None of them are even remotely close to good enough. Gabriel provides energy and knocks down open 3's at a decent rate. He sucks at everything else. Vanderbilt can dribble the ball and can rebound. He does provide energy, but he can't stay healthy in HS or college. They'll break his ass in half in the NBA. Washington is the best of the 3 currently, but he's undersized, not a good shooter, turnover prone and is inconsistent at what he does do well. Declaring now will effectively end all 3 of their playing careers in the US. They may be able to squeak out a meaningless D-league contract for a year or two, but after that its overseas to never be heard from again. Kids today are freaking stupid.

 

[caneintally]

I have said this a week ago. He wants to go. Doesn't mean he will but he really wants to

Yes of coarse. All players want to and I believe if a team say with the 1st pick of the 2nd round promises him a pick he leaves. The issue is he ain't going to get that. He is very very likely undraftable right now . Ergo he will be back. This is just like Briscoe his first year - PJ really wants to go but can't and I don't expect his Dad or Cal will let him make a dumb choice but I do 100% believe Lemond is correct. I am not too worried about this though . Now if PJ shows out completely at the combine then that changes .

 

[caneintally]

If Gabriel, Washington or Vanderbilt decide to leave this year, they are dumber than dog shit and have no real dream to play in the NBA, because none of them will. None of them are even remotely close to good enough. Gabriel provides energy and knocks down open 3's at a decent rate. He sucks at everything else. Vanderbilt can dribble the ball and can rebound. He does provide energy, but he can't stay healthy in HS or college. They'll break his ass in half in the NBA. Washington is the best of the 3 currently, but he's undersized, not a good shooter, turnover prone and is inconsistent at what he does to well. Declaring now will effectively end all 3 of their playing careers in the US. They may be able to squeak out a meaningless D-league contract for a year or, but after that its overseas to never be heard from again. Kids today are freaking stupid.

I think at very very worst we lose 1 of those 3 . JV ain't leaving as he physically he can't .

 

[caneintally]

I will believe it when I see it. Some radio guy who claims all of these inside sources tell him this or that. Naw. Unless he heard it from PJ's dad it is only talk. KSR needs to continue to stir the pot to keep listeners.

I would have to believe PJ will listen to his basketball coach dad. His dad should understand and give him solid advice. PJ will be back unless daddy is pushing him out and I don't believe that.

This is a great post as everything you say is spot on. How much you want to bet someone comes out in a day or 2 and says the same thing about jv or gabriel ect. They need people talking about KSR and tuning in.

Also exactly I can't imagine his dad lets him stay knowing he will be undrafted.

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

If they can't handle college bootcamp, how are they going to handle the pros? Fairly sure it only gets harder.

The competition is harder but they practice far less in the NBA.

 

[BlueRupp]

Don't remember who said it but saw someone say that PJ is the type of guy that even if everyone is telling him to come back(coaches, scouts, family etc.) he still could declare for the draft because he wants to go to the NBA so bad.

I'll try to remember where I heard it.

 

[crestcat]

TJ is so slighted by fans. kid had 20 double double as a freshmen. PJ isnt even close

and TJ is having a hard time getting a steady paycheck

 

[fultoncoflash]

With a hurt finger that needs surgery how will he be able to work out for the pro teams? Same with Vanderbilt. I want to go to the NBA also but it is not going to happen unless I buy a ticket!

 

[That MGH Guy]

That would be a dumber decision than Daniel Orton

Not to hijack the thread, but people have to let this go with Orton. His knee was on the brink of falling apart while he was playing here. Him leaving and getting some actual cash while he could was exactly the right decision.

 

[crestcat]

The competition is harder but they practice far less in the NBA.

all the more of a problem. Does he have the work ethic to put in the work that is necessary?

 

[TheDude73]

We hear this about every player, though.

And I'm sure it's true.

But it's kind of obvious. Of course they want to. That's why they come here.

I would say that 95% of high D1 players want to.

Kentucky has been able to keep at least some of these marginal players though. I'm sure they all wanted to...but a few didn't.

Yet for whatever reason (probably the culture of "failure" if they're not 1-and-done), UK gets more than their share of these kinds of premature departures. I know other schools have them once in a while, but Kentucky has at least 1-3 every year that goes and probably shouldn't, and of those 1-3, I'd guess (no time to research them all) most struggle in G-league or overseas for quite some time, even though had they stayed another year or two, most likely would have gone in the first round.

 

[MWes11]

This would crush my high. I am all for kids leaving if they are guaranteed first round.

Losing PJ would be a crushing blow as we all felt he was going to take that next step next year and be extremely productive.

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

The competition is harder but they practice far less in the NBA.

Ok, how about 82 games compared to 40?

 

[TrustinCal]

More chum in the water for the sharks...

 

[GonzoCat90]

Relax.

 

[Joneslab]

Yet for whatever reason (probably the culture of "failure" if they're not 1-and-done), UK gets more than their share of these kinds of premature departures.

I think it's because the whole system is set up around the premise that a player is going to come in and be a one-and-done.

When that doesn't happen there's sometimes a begrudging return to school. And then after the sophomore year things usually get to the point where the player is willing to play in Estonia.

I don't "blame" Cal for this necessarily. I just think it's a consequence of the experiment.

 

[GonzoCat90]

By the way, "close than we think" doesn't actually mean anything. If I think he's sure to be back, and he's closer to leaving than I think, that still doesn't mean he's leaving.

Besides, all these stupid percentages don't mean anything. You either stay or you go. You can't be 65% staying or whatever.

Again, relax. We'll probably lose Wenyen and Quade. Add Maxey and a grad transfer.

 

[shaolin style]

Knox was closer than we thought to come back also. Save your reactions until the decisions are made.

 

[JonathanW]

Maybe PJ wants to go make some big bucks down in Australia going against Humphreys.

 

[Bluegrassking]

That would be a dumber decision than Daniel Orton

Of course it is. Refraining from pissing myself for no reason is a dumber decision.
No way that dude ever collects those checks if he doesn't go right then other than a winning lottery ticket.

We are talking a guy who averaged like 4 ppg, with 90 year old body at times, seemingly not a great work ethic, and not the brightest star in the sky seemingly either getting guaranteed money and calling that a bad decision?

Why aren't you happy he left? He would have broken down physically or mentally on us and dude would have gone into the tank and wrecked our GPA.

Anyone harping about Daniel Orton even with the benefit of eight years of hindsight just is desperate to gripe about something.

I get thinking in real time that he should have come back to anchor our inside game and likely be a high lottery pick. It's all there on a silver platter and all of that jazz but with hindsight if one can't at minimum get over it and preferably accept it surprisingly turned out best for him and us then I think such a person is being wildly irrational and annoying.

We pretty much got peak Orton. Those hopes at the time we're pipe dreams, not destined to happen in this universe.

 

[Wall2Wall]

If PJ does stay in the draft because he read an article from some clueless blogger that he will go 35th to the Orlando Magic and not receive any sort of guaranteed contract, I hate to say it but it will be a great lesson for him. For a kid who grew up with his dad as the basketball coach and being materially bigger than his high school competition, to put it simply, PJ has never had to worry about eating. I won't make assumptions on how his upbringing was but from a basketball standpoint it seems like things were given to him instead of him earning them.

If he wants to go to the NBA where guys much bigger, stronger and faster than the ones who held him in check in college, he's finally going to learn that you aren't handed everything. Kansas game he had 2 points, 2 rebounds. WVU game he had 2 points, 2 rebounds. Those are the two games that stand out to me where he is playing guys at his position that remotely resemble the level of talent he'll see at the next level.

Not choosing to come back to UK and continue working on his very raw set of skills would be a serious wake up call for him. Especially when the guys in the G-League aren't letting him near the rim.