Some opinions on Moses Brown

[DerekMcPwn]

I think people might be underestimating Brown. It’s hard to be a true seven-foot teenager. The height is actually an impediment to mastering the balance, speed, and lift that other, shorter athletes have at that age. He’ll grow into that body and harden up a bunch at UK. Look at Sacha’s physical transformation from high school senior to now.

For perspective, Brown is just as athletic as Isaac Humphries, an inch taller, and 5” longer across his wingspan. That by itself is worth a bunch of blocks, rebounds, and putbacks. Brown may not be OAD, but I would feel just fine about our postseason prospects with Brown, SKJ, and Wynyard manning the 5.

 

[AnarchoNeoLuddite]

Yeah there is lots to work with there just wonder if the motor will rev up any higher?

 

[anon_013cn8yrfncx2]

I don't know what caused TJ to reach that conclusion, or when he reached it. But I think he will be proven wrong. Richards is 6-11 240 pounds with athleticism and hops. His offensive game is improving by the week, and the rest of his game is solid. When we beat Ft. Wayne, Richards dominated an excellent 5. At worst, Richards will be drafted in the middle of the 1st round. He is gone. Calipari knows it, which is why he is recruiting Brown.

As of now NR is no where close to being ready to play the 5 in the NBA. Yeah they draft on potential but not over guys who are more advanced. Nick hasn't been playing very long so that's in his favor. We'll just have to see how he does against the Yante Matens and Tyler Davises of the SEC.

 

[IrishMike409]

He's definitely gonna be a OAD. I'd pass. Let him go somewhere else and be a project with every intention to leave. Let's take OADs who will make an impact and help us win games in March. The rest of the roster should be filled with guys who want to stay in Lex for a few years and be a part of the best program in the country. Guys who will grow into badasses and winners- the kind of guys who grind out tough wins in March and April.

Don't get me wrong- I'm all for the elite OAD.....but not projects like Brown.

 

[DerekMcPwn]

He's definitely gonna be a OAD. I'd pass. Let him go somewhere else and be a project with every intention to leave. Let's take OADs who will make an impact and help us win games in March. The rest of the roster should be filled with guys who want to stay in Lex for a few years and be a part of the best program in the country. Guys who will grow into badasses and winners- the kind of guys who grind out tough wins in March and April.

Don't get me wrong- I'm all for the elite OAD.....but not projects like Brown.

Great. Awesome. Tremendous idea.

Which elite frontcourt prospects for 2018 not named Moses Brown did you have in mind?

 

[IrishMike409]

Great. Awesome. Tremendous idea.

Which elite frontcourt prospects for 2018 not named Moses Brown did you have in mind?

What has Moses Brown done to indicate to you that he's elite? We get to Elite 8 or Final 4, and have to go up against a front court like last years UNCheat or Wisconsin from a few years ago- those guys will kick Brown's ass. Won't be a contest.

 

[AzubuikeandFitch]

I think most of these comments miss the point. Most people commenting on Brown here haven't seen him play and don't understand why Calipari is looking at him. Brown is more athletic and 3 inches taller than Dakari Johnson. Nick Richards will be a 1st round draft choice. Anyone who doesn't see that is late to the party. If Wiseman won't reclassify, then SKJ and Wynyard are our 5s next year. Bol is off the board. Adding 1 more quality 5 is necessary. Calipari's defensive concept works best when we have depth and length on the baseline to alter lanes and shots. Brown may not be Karl Towns 2.0, and won't interfere with Wiseman's recruitment. But Brown can become a decent player with Kenny Payne's teachings. If he is the best big alternative, sign him. Getting Brown and Williamson would be a solid finish to this class, and the 2 scholarships will be available after Richards, Knox, Diallo enter the draft.

This is the double edge sword of relying heavily on the next recruiting class. If a particular class lacks talent at a position of need, then coach is forced to take a kid who may have not been a priority. There's a big talent gap between the post players in 17 and 18.
Brown lacks the grit n grind that Dakari Johnson had. Brown is not the most agile or athletically gifted. You would expect his game to resemble a banger but he doesn't seem mean enough.

 

[DerekMcPwn]

What has Moses Brown done to indicate to you that he's elite? We get to Elite 8 or Final 4, and have to go up against a front court like last years UNCheat or Wisconsin from a few years ago- those guys will kick Brown's ass. Won't be a contest.

Answer my question, champ. You said you'd pass on Moses Brown because you want OADs that are gonna be winners in March. So step up, man. Which prospects is Cal ignoring that are gonna fill out our frontcourt for tournament wins?

 

[brianpoe]

I would take Josh Harrelson all day before Brown.

 

[Poetax]

Also have to look beyond 2019. Brown may be more of a Willie Cauley-Stein type player - not a "project" but a guy who may need 2-3 years in college to really develop. Not unusual for the true 7-footers.

I think Cal has learned a lesson - the KATs are extremely rare and most true centers are not going to be all-Americans as freshmen. Just look at the progress Sacha Killeya-Jones has made from last year to this.

Brown says UK is his dream school so my guess is he will commit whenever Cal finally offers.

At worse, he’s an extra 5 fouls, and if
a better big drops on us, Cal will take him too.

 

[FrankUnderwood]

This is the double edge sword of relying heavily on the next recruiting class. If a particular class lacks talent at a position of need, then coach is forced to take a kid who may have not been a priority. There's a big talent gap between the post players in 17 and 18.
Brown lacks the grit n grind that Dakari Johnson had. Brown is not the most agile or athletically gifted. You would expect his game to resemble a banger but he doesn't seem mean enough.

A little to early to say any of what you said is true

 

[Poetax]

No, he doesn't to me. Just the way he moves, it's not smooth & quick. I'm not expecting Fox/Wall type movement. Does seem to have a lot of Bolden/Johnson/Humphries in him. And that isn't bad. It just means the fans should not expect much in year 1, maybe not even year 2.
I would expect him to ride the pine w/ only mop-up minutes as a FR.
Play a little (maybe 5mpg) as a Soph.
Then as a JR is when I would expect him to be a solid (20mpg) contributor. And at that point, given his size, I could see him going pro.

In the video the only advantage that Bol has is that he’s more of an outside player with an outside shot. He’s not a rim protector and if Brown would have stopped driving to the left and shooting right handed Bol would not have blocked him the couple of times that he did. I was amazed that Brown could dribble well enough to take Bol to the rim. Some on here don’t know what being agile is.

 

[IrishMike409]

Answer my question, champ. You said you'd pass on Moses Brown because you want OADs that are gonna be winners in March. So step up, man. Which prospects is Cal ignoring that are gonna fill out our frontcourt for tournament wins?

Derek- settle down. It's an anonymous message board. What do you mean "step up"? If we pass on a true 5 this year, then we pass. SKJ and Tai should be back. NR- maybe. Wenyen/Vanderbilt/PJ- at least 1 should be back. I think the front court will be OK next year. Moses Brown won't be the difference in us winning a national title.

I'm just not interested in project, low motor OADs.

 

[Poetax]

Derek- settle down. It's an anonymous message board. What do you mean "step up"? If we pass on a true 5 this year, then we pass. SKJ and Tai should be back. NR- maybe. Wenyen/Vanderbilt/PJ- at least 1 should be back. I think the front court will be OK next year. Moses Brown won't be the difference in us winning a national title.

I'm just not interested in project, low motor OADs.

Son, you need to review the video again.

 

[IrishMike409]

I hope I'm wrong. I'd love for Brown to come in and have a great year, and be a major part of a team that advances deep come April.

That said- I'm simply a fan on a message board. My opinion doesn't hold a lot of weight.

 

[Pewee Cat]

He is definitely a one & done. Will start immediately & average 14 points 10 rebounds 5 blocked shots. 9th pick in the draft ... signed caneintally

 

[Blue Decade]

Based on how he looks now and how much he will likely improve this year, you might be right. On the other hand, centers are not as valued in the modern NBA as are wings and point guards. Richards at best will be behind Ayton, Bamba, and Bagley in this draft, and probably behind Robinson as well. I doubt that puts him in the middle of the first round.

Ayton, Bagley, Bamba will be high lottery picks. Even if Richards is behind all 3, he could still go in the middle of the 1st round. I think some of our fans are underestimating Richards. Richards has only been playing basketball for a couple of years, but he is huge and athletic. You can already see Kenny Payne's influence.

 

[Blue Decade]

Yeah but Brown won't be one and done, therefore wiseman might not want to come to UK Bc there's someone at his position already here. Not saying wiseman won't come here if brown comes, it just plays into the equation

Brown will not block Wiseman's recruitment. Wiseman already wants to play for Calipari. Brown is strictly a 5, whereas Wiseman is a 4-5 hybrid who will play 4 in the NBA. Calipari is a master with this kind of thing, and Wiseman gets it according to his Mom.

 

[stenchymouse]

I'll trust Cal's decision on Brown, but I really think that SKJ can be a helluva player as a junior, and I think that he's our center for next year anyways.

 

[DerekMcPwn]

Derek- settle down. It's an anonymous message board. What do you mean "step up"? If we pass on a true 5 this year, then we pass. SKJ and Tai should be back. NR- maybe. Wenyen/Vanderbilt/PJ- at least 1 should be back. I think the front court will be OK next year. Moses Brown won't be the difference in us winning a national title.

I'm just not interested in project, low motor OADs.

My point is that you aren’t making one. Obviously, everyone - every coach in America - wants their team stocked with elite OAD talent. You’re hardly pioneering new territory by saying you’d prefer Anthony Davis over Tai Wynyard. But it has been said that this is the weakest big man class in a decade, and we missed on Bol.

So now what? Knowing that Richards is gone, are we going to bank our center position on two reserve players averaging 20 minutes and 6 points per game combined? On a team that already isn’t elite at that position? And if Moses Brown is guaranteed OAD as you say, what’s the harm in taking him? We’ll have the scholarships. Do you really think the massive, 5-star center would contribute less than nothing?

 

[IrishMike409]

I'll trust Cal's decision on Brown, but I really think that SKJ can be a helluva player as a junior, and I think that he's our center for next year anyways.

Absolutely agree

 

[IrishMike409]

My point is that you aren’t making one. Obviously, everyone - every coach in America - wants their team stocked with elite OAD talent. You’re hardly pioneering new territory by saying you’d prefer Anthony Davis over Tai Wynyard. But it has been said that this is the weakest big man class in a decade, and we missed on Bol.

So now what? Knowing that Richards is gone, are we going to bank our center position on two reserve players averaging 20 minutes and 6 points per game combined? On a team that already isn’t elite at that position? And if Moses Brown is guaranteed OAD as you say, what’s the harm in taking him? We’ll have the scholarships. Do you really think the massive, 5-star center would contribute less than nothing?

I absolutely see your point.

I'm simply saying: if it were me running UK Basketball (and for good reason, I'm certainly not), I'd rather have a solid but unspectacular 4 year big who'll be a rotation guy years 2-4, as oppposeed to Moses Brown. Personally, I just don't see value in a OAD project, with a weak motor. That player doesn't help us win a title.

 

[JeffGoodmansVestigialTwin]

Great. Awesome. Tremendous idea.

Which elite frontcourt prospects for 2018 not named Moses
It Brown did you have in mind?

It's true our options r rather limited