We need Marques Bolden next year...

[Cat Ballou]

Like Cal said, a team without a solid post game is a fraud. Adding Marques will allow us to play Bam at his true PF position and he will also be a good complement to Sacha K-J.

The fact that Isaac Humphries hasn't played much in the last couple of weeks tells me that Isaac is more of a 3-4 year guy and not necessarily the answer at Center next year. I think he'll be a solid backup, and major contributor as an upperclassman, but we need Bolden.

If we add Bolden, we'll could be brutal next year. Still a little worried about outside shooting, but a strong inside game will compensate for that. The great thing about Bolden is that he is already a good offensive player and strong rebounder. He's respectable on defense as well. Cal won't have to pull him because he's being abused on the defensive end.

 

[WildMoon]

We don't need Bolden.

BAM/SKJ is more than enough to give us post scoring. Gabriel will also provide us with strong presence inside as a 3. He'll be one of the better rebounding 3, and that's going to help a lot.

 

[dave5164]

I believe Bolden would make next year's team even better with a true center playing in the middle. That is one of the problems with UK this year vs. Last year is we had Towns, WCS, Lyles, and Dakari underneath. This year we thought Skal would be that center that would help us along with Poythress and Lee. We don't have that same inside presence like we did last year that helped us to win most of our games. Towns took over games last year underneath and helped us to win games like Notre Dame in Regional Finals. Then add WCS, Lyles, and Dakari and we were powerful underneath last year. Just having Poy and Lee right now is good but if we had another Center presence underneath this team would be awesome.

 

[gracetoyou]

We don't need Bolden.

BAM/SKJ is more than enough to give us post scoring. Gabriel will also provide us with strong presence inside as a 3. He'll be one of the better rebounding 3, and that's going to help a lot.

You're nuts!! Having a skilled, true center is always a plus for a team.

Not to mention, we need depth of bigs. Bolden is a Dakari Johnson that has better feet & is more athletic.

 

[dave5164]

I agree that having a true Center is always a huge plus for any team. That is why last year we were so tough when you have Towns, WCS, and Dakari that can play the Center and then you have Lyles, Poy, and Lee we had depth underneath with the big men. Right now we Poy and Lee and hopefully Skal wll bounce back and play better like he did in the first 6 or 7 games when he was averaging 15ppg. We also have Tai Wynyard that Ulis and Murray was talking about after the Bama game and saying how good he was in practice and would be even better once he know all the system and plays on offense and Defense. Murray said he knew Tai was good because he had played with him last year and knew he could be good here. They both said he was doing great on the offense with his short Hook shot and slams underneath. Murray said he was powerful on the offense side but still learning all the plays. That would help big time if we can Skal back to how he was playing at first of the year and once Tai Wynyard gets all the plays down. Humphries is another big that will be good in the future and is a 3 or 4 year player. Both Humphries and Wynyard are still young at 17 so they will get better each year.

 

[jrpross]

We don't need Bolden.

BAM/SKJ is more than enough to give us post scoring. Gabriel will also provide us with strong presence inside as a 3. He'll be one of the better rebounding 3, and that's going to help a lot.

I don't think we NEED Bolden, but I'd sure LIKE to have him. He would add another facet to our offense. Bam and SKJ are awesome but they're not polished post players. That would be nice to have. But we're certainly not doomed if he goes elsewhere.

 

[caneintally]

You're nuts!! Having a skilled, true center is always a plus for a team.

Not to mention, we need depth of bigs. Bolden is a Dakari Johnson that has better feet & is more athletic.

Listen we really really 'NEED" him if we want to be 96' or 12' good . Without him we are top 3 team but beatable . But a 10 man rotation of

Fox/Monk/Gabriel/Bam/Bolden
Hawkins/Matthews/Willis/SKJ/Humphries
is just flat out amazing. And that isn't even bringing Mulder or Tai into it .

 

[_NewWorldOrder_]

We definitely need Bolden. I keep getting torn between what I hope happens between Skal coming back or us getting Bolden. If Skal would put on 25lbs of muscle, get stronger, more aggressive, more physical, and have more confidence then I think he would be the better player next year. But Bolden is a TRUE low post scorer. He's like a middle class man's Okafor. You give him the ball in the low post and he's gonna score. He could be the missing link to next year's dream team. Bolden isn't great on defense but he's not as bad as some let on. He's turning into a good shot blocker and he's a really good rebounder both offensively and defensively. Yeah. We need him bad. On a loaded team he would probably average like 13pts, 8rbs, 1blk. When you have the kind of guards that we'll have next season AND a big man that can score at will in the low post you have something special. Not to mention we also have a freak of nature and a 6'10 wing coming in too.

 

[_NewWorldOrder_]

If this wasn't such a loaded class Bolden would be a top 10 player. There's some classes he would have probably been ranked like 5th or 6th honestly

 

[_NewWorldOrder_]

You're nuts!! Having a skilled, true center is always a plus for a team.

Not to mention, we need depth of bigs. Bolden is a Dakari Johnson that has better feet & is more athletic.

Bolden's nothing like Dakari. He's more like Jahlil Okafor than Dakari. Like I said above Bolden's game is pretty similar to Okafor's

 

[uk78]

There are NBA All-star teams that have lost games. It will be great to have all this talent but it also is how they play together. Plus, who is going to lead the team? As talented as the new guards will be, they will be inexperienced Freshman. I feel pretty certain Ulis will be gone after this season, so who puts it all together on the court? I think adding Bolden will be another great addition but it would be awesome if Ulis somehow did return.

 

[MKGMVP]

Skal will not put on 25 lbs of muscle. I don't think it's physically possible

 

[Blue Decade]

Like Cal said, a team without a solid post game is a fraud. Adding Marques will allow us to play Bam at his true PF position and he will also be a good complement to Sacha K-J.

The fact that Isaac Humphries hasn't played much in the last couple of weeks tells me that Isaac is more of a 3-4 year guy and not necessarily the answer at Center next year. I think he'll be a solid backup, and major contributor as an upperclassman, but we need Bolden.

If we add Bolden, we'll could be brutal next year. Still a little worried about outside shooting, but a strong inside game will compensate for that. The great thing about Bolden is that he is already a good offensive player and strong rebounder. He's respectable on defense as well. Cal won't have to pull him because he's being abused on the defensive end.

Whether your 1st point is right depends on whether Adebayo himself is what you would call a true post player. He may be. Adebayo is still growing, now 6-10, 235. That's about the same size as Bolden. Watch Adebayo's highlights. It's likely that Adebayo may be a true post player. It's also likely, although some of our fans still flip out when they hear this, that Labissiere will be back next year. Our baseline is stacked. Humphries, Wynyard, Willis, Adebayo, Killeya-Jones, Gabriel, probably Labissiere, possibly Lee too. Killeya-Jones, Gabriel, Wynyard aren't being brought in just to sit. Labissiere is having problems, but he will be a different player if he comes back next year after an offseason of high level conditioning. Humphries isn't playing this year because he hasn't learned to defend, but he will also be a different player a year from now. Bolden is a ranked prospect, but Bolden will also have adjustments to make on the defensive end if he signs with a ranked program like Kentucky. Bolden is similar to Dakari. A good player, not a dominant player right from day 1. He will have to compete. If I was Bolden, I would want to see what Labissiere and Lee are going to do before I would seriously consider a commitment to Kentucky with that roster.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

I'm not worried about shooting next year. Mulder, Willis, and Hawkins are starting to show signs of decent shooting. Monk is lethal. Fox is improving. Gabriel is refining his shot. There will be no reason for a paranoid rendition of the 2010 WVU game some many fans continuously point to, not when you have Monk on the team, and not when you have a handful of situational shooters.

People also tend to forget how athletic, enormous teams can offensive rebound out of a zone. UK will own the offensive glass next year if they add Bolden.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

There are NBA All-star teams that have lost games. It will be great to have all this talent but it also is how they play together. Plus, who is going to lead the team? As talented as the new guards will be, they will be inexperienced Freshman. I feel pretty certain Ulis will be gone after this season, so who puts it all together on the court? I think adding Bolden will be another great addition but it would be awesome if Ulis somehow did return.

The leaders can come from the freshmen, just like the '12 team. MKG overshadowed the senior Darius Miller in the leadership department in almost every way.

Having Hawkins and Willis as seniors won't hurt.

 

[Untouchables22]

Next year's team needs a low post scorer period....doesn't matter if it's Bolden, SKJ, Wainard, or Humphries. (Bam has no post moves so it won't be him). Cal's offense has been shown to be a mess if there is no reliable low post scorer.

 

[GonzoCat90]

Sign him up. I mean, we aren't worse with him. Any kid that would willingly come here with the depth we have at his position is a kid I'll gladly take in Blue. You win with guys like that.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

Kentucky doesnt need Bolden ......... Signed all the Duke and KU fans

Cal certainly said we needed another big and we all know who he was talking about.

 

[Primedfor9]

At 6 10 Bam is a center more than a pf imo, and he's more polished and has more post moves than he's getting credit for on here if you go by what scouts are saying about him. I think we get Bolden too, and cal will have to figure out who starts, minutes etc. It's kinda hard not to already be thinking of next years team with the roster possibilities and how loaded we'll be. It could end up being Cal's most talented team.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Cal says he wants to sign another big in this class (read between the lines: Bolden), so I figure it would be a good thing if we added one.

 

[Dirk2Bowie]

The scariest part about Cal and the staffs recruiting is that more and more stars are realizing that big point totals and 40 minutes a game < practicing against future NBA players every day and pro scouts roaming campus.

 

[SosaUK]

We don't need Bolden.

BAM/SKJ is more than enough to give us post scoring. Gabriel will also provide us with strong presence inside as a 3. He'll be one of the better rebounding 3, and that's going to help a lot.

Smh.

Like Lee and Poy are enough this year?
Put down the sauce.

 

[jrpross]

At 6 10 Bam is a center more than a pf imo, and he's more polished and has more post moves than he's getting credit for on here if you go by what scouts are saying about him. I think we get Bolden too, and cal will have to figure out who starts, minutes etc. It's kinda hard not to already be thinking of next years team with the roster possibilities and how loaded we'll be. It could end up being Cal's most talented team.

From what I heard from someone who went to a couple of his games he's really not a center. He said most of his points came when he got the ball outside and used a wicked crossover to beat his man and dunk it with authority. He got a couple putbacks and stroked an 18 foot jumper but usually played on the perimeter. He has very good handles for a guy his size. So if Cal wants him to stay down low all the time, he's gonna have to teach him to play under the rim. Bolden, on the other hand, makes his living there already. He's comfortable playing a back to the basket post up game.

 

[Wall2Boogie]

would randle be a fair comparison?

 

[Blue Decade]

Next year's team needs a low post scorer period....doesn't matter if it's Bolden, SKJ, Wainard, or Humphries. (Bam has no post moves so it won't be him). Cal's offense has been shown to be a mess if there is no reliable low post scorer.

Man, are you underestimating Bam Adebayo. All high school players have to make a transition to the college game, but players with strength and great tools can quickly become skilled with good coaching. Bam is a formidable low post player, offensively and defensively. Big, strong, athletic. After 2 months with Kenny Payne, Adebayo might force you to tear up your preconceived notions. Low post scoring is exactly the element our current team lacks. But Adebayo and Killeya-Jones will bring it, and Humphries, Labissiere, Wynyard will be different players after an offseason of conditioning and another year with Kenny Payne. I don't like to get carried away with irrational expectations for incoming freshmen. I typically avoid that more than 90% of other posters here do. But Fox, Monk, Bam Gabriel, SKJ are the real deal, and next year's team is stacked.

 

[Blue Decade]

From what I heard from someone who went to a couple of his games he's really not a center. He said most of his points came when he got the ball outside and used a wicked crossover to beat his man and dunk it with authority. He got a couple putbacks and stroked an 18 foot jumper but usually played on the perimeter. He has very good handles for a guy his size. So if Cal wants him to stay down low all the time, he's gonna have to teach him to play under the rim. Bolden, on the other hand, makes his living there already. He's comfortable playing a back to the basket post up game.

You heard this from someone who went to a couple of games? If I were you, I might listen to someone else. High school players get recruited based on size, tools, and projection. A top coach like Calipari is looking for players he can develop. Bam is a low post player at Kentucky. 6-10 guys don't put the ball on the floor, crossover, and drive against college defenses. That is Fox's and Monk's role. Wait and see what happens when Kenny Payne gets ahold of Bam.

 

[jrpross]

You heard this from someone who went to a couple of games? If I were you, I might listen to someone else. High school players get recruited based on size, tools, and projection. A top coach like Calipari is looking for players he can develop. Bam is a low post player at Kentucky. 6-10 guys don't put the ball on the floor, crossover, and drive against college defenses. That is Fox's and Monk's role. Wait and see what happens when Kenny Payne gets ahold of Bam.

I'm well aware of these things. Not saying that's how they'll use him at Kentucky. He was just commenting on how he's used NOW. He currently is NOT used in the low post so it would be a process to teach him to do so in one year. Towns took quite a while to be really effective down low for the same reason. So could Cal teach him to play center by the end of the year? Sure. But he's going to play more 4 in the NBA. So if we can get a pure 5 with some polished post moves it would allow Bam to be more of a 4 and would give us a guy who won't take all year to learn to play under the rim.

As I said, we'll be ok if we don't get Bolden, but it would give us a whole new dimension on offense if we did.

 

[Pulaski Cat Fan]

Sign him up. I mean, we aren't worse with him. Any kid that would willingly come here with the depth we have at his position is a kid I'll gladly take in Blue. You win with guys like that.

I wholeheartedly agree. I have enormous respect for any player that's willing to join a roster so loaded. That's a player I want badly.

 

[RKulmer]

Bolden's nothing like Dakari. He's more like Jahlil Okafor than Dakari. Like I said above Bolden's game is pretty similar to Okafor's

But can he make freethrows?

 

[WildMoon]

Again, we don't need him.

I would love to have him.

I'm also confident that BAm and SKJ will both have excellent post game by season end.

Some of you are silly thinking we need a guy at this point.

I hope fox/monk has reliable 3 pointers. That's more of a need than bolden.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

If there is any possible for us get Bolden, why wouldn't we take him? I'm sure Cal would jump at the chance and he has all but publicly made Bolden a target. So, obviously his intent is to get the kid, if at all possible. Cal wants him = discussion is moot.

 

[kentucky_wildcat_#1]

Again, we don't need him.

I would love to have him.

I'm also confident that BAm and SKJ will both have excellent post game by season end.

Some of you are silly thinking we need a guy at this point.

I hope fox/monk has reliable 3 pointers. That's more of a need than bolden.

When the head coach says we need another post player, i think i'll go with his opinion over a poster on the internet. No offense, of course. We need as many talented big men we can get our hands on. If you haven't noticed, post play is the only thing that is going to keep this current team from becoming a great team and i'm pretty sure Cal is thinking he is not going to let it happen again to next year's roster. Bam will be a very good post player for us next season. If he doesn't play in the post on his highschool team, it won't matter. With that size he will be in the post as soon as he steps on campus.

 

[UK_fan_41102]

If the kid wants to come here, then why not take him? A few people said we didn't need anymore bigs after Skal and we see how that has played out.