Upperclassmen question

[ChicagoCat1990]

I know a lot of fans always throw it out that we need upperclassmen to win another championship. I tend to agree with this. This year we had three. But compare our three to say Justin Jackson, Kennedy Meeks and Joel Berry. Just a huge talent gap. Jackson is a phenomenal player. My question is, what does it take to get one or a few stud upperclassman players that don't have all of the NBA hype around them? Another example is Frank Mason. Player of the year but do you really see him playing in the NBA? I guess I'm just thinking out loud here. We don't win in 2012 if jones and lamb don't return. And we for sure don't win it if Miller wasn't on our team. His calm demeanor was a game changer.

 

[DCFseattle]

We've had those types but for whatever reason they transfer out because they're not immediately as good as the other guys in the class they came in with, and they don't have the willpower to stick it out and get better. They go elsewhere in search of that glory. Jones and Lamb came back because of the uncertainty of the lockout that year. I don't know how we can convince these guys that they can find their glory here if they truly want it (probably reason 1 that Cal doesn't hire me to his staff).

It's the monster Coach has created here. To the second level talents he's recruited, it seems to be maybe too intimidating.

 

[katwest]

The only 4 year players Kentucky is ever going to have are Kentucky boys or a situation like Poythress where an injury delayed his leaving early. Justin Jackson is a rarity he could have went pro last year, but he came back something most kids like him don't do. I wish Kentucky had more kids that wanted more of the college experience.

 

[JonathanW]

I think it is a catch22. If you are good enough to be a star player by your JR/SR year, then you are good enough on most teams to play significant minutes as a FR. But at UK, we have been bringing in so many elite OAD FR, that the good FR can't find time on the floor (or don't come to UK because they see all of the talented OAD ahead of them). So we either get 1st tier elite OAD FR, or 3rd tier FR. Few 2nd tier FR (I think the exceptions were Ulis, maybe DJ, & a couple others). DJ should have stayed 1 more year. Ulis improved quickly to as high as his stock could given his height.

Now this next year might be an exception, as I don't know if any of our guys are elite OAD FR. I could see them all coming back for a SOPH yr, or at most 1-3 (including Gabriel & Diallo) leaving. I could even see multiple of them staying to be JR or even SR. Maybe I'm saying this because it is a down class as a whole. But that might actually result in the lessor talented players still leaving early.

As good as Berry, Jackson, Meeks, Hicks have been this year, I think they are all borderline NBA players.
Berry isn't overly quick, he's small, and just an ok shooter.
Meeks & Hicks are a step slow, and for their position could use another 2-3".
Jackson just looks amazingly awkward, he'll play in the league, but he'll never be a starter.