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We need to grab an elite point guard, now.

FirewithFire

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Jan 16, 2021
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After watching the debacle that was Askew during the ol'miss game I recalled a quote from an article about De-Arron Fox. That made me think we needed to find a big time guard for next year so I went and checked some things out.


2010 -Wall (EE)
2011 - Knight (FF)
2012 - Teague (Title)
2013 - Harrow (NIT)
2014 - Harrison (FInals)
2015 - Harrison (FF)
2016 - Ulis (SW16)
2017 - Fox (SIGH)​
2018 - Green / Alexander (SW16)
2019 - Haggins (EE)
2020 - Haggins (COVID)
2021 - Askew (LOL)
2021-22 - ?

Above is a, probably, unnecessary rundown of UK point guards come tourney time over the years. I listed this to show that when UK has a true competent point guard who can operate autonomously, the team run well and achieves to a high level. Note that during the NIT and this year we have had abysmal point guard play. If Cal had sat Green earlier and let Alexander play, imo that 2018 team would have been better than they were. Those who think we were winning a title with Haggins last year are nuts. He went off the rails and Quickley could only carry us so far. A shot yes, win no.

Consider these quotes from the Fox article earlier last year.

"That’s why he wants guards like John (Wall) and myself and B-Knight, Tyler Ulis. The way that he coaches, it’s like absolute freedom."

“He’ll put up X’s and O’s but at the end of the day, everything’s going to end up in a pick and roll or isolation. That’s what the NBA is too."


I also recall a similar statement from Andrew Harrison in an article from around 2016. We all know how riding and dying with Harrison turned out. I'm to lazy to look it up but it's out there somewhere. Point is, it appears that Cal doesn't really coach plays or sets. Well, DUH. Even when he does the players don't pay attention. Remember James Young forgetting the play and just hoisting a shot? Cal needs an elite point guard that can basically show up and immediately run the whole show. Otherwise, see year 2013, 2018, and the present.

Currently UK has a second year Askew and an incoming freshman Nolan Hickman. Askew has shown the BBN nothing. Less than nothing? I don't have much faith in the kid; hope I am wrong.

Hickman is a 4 star ranked 28th and rising. He is a current MDAA and is supposed to be just a decent shooter and good leader. Attitude wise he has drawn some comparison to Ulis, but he has had a bad knee injury which concerns me a bit. He is really raw though. Not sure about his immediate impact. Not sure how he will mesh with Askew either.

Right now on the draft board, there are no point guards left. The only guards are combo guards like Hardy(6'4 SG), Salis(6'3 CG), Keels(6'3 SG)

Hardy appears to be gone to the G-League, Salis is leaning hard to Gonzaga, and Keels is who the hell knows, but no offers from UK. Of the three on the list, Salis is by far and away the most important of the bunch. He is the only thing close to a point guard left in the class, and unless Cal has some foreign born ace up his sleeve, or Hickman turns out to be another Alexander/Ulis in disguise, UK's immediate future might just ride on getting this Salis kid into a UK jersey.

Cal needs to get on a plane as soon as this season is over, which will be real soon, and make a direct face to face plea for this kid to come to Kentucky. If he has any snake oil left in his bottle he needs to spread that shit all over and get this kid a scholly like yesterday. If not, UK might just see a repeat of this year, next year.
 
The thing is Teague is most definitely not our best PG and he manned the helm to take us to the promised land. Meanwhile our consensus top PGs (Wall/Fox/Ulis) didn’t make a FF. So it’s more than having an elite PG.

Honestly I’m not sure if even a Wall could’ve turned this team into a contender. We’d be way better and have a winning record, but we’d still probably have no elite post presence or great shooters/scorers for him to pass to.
 
1. Good call...do you know where to find one this late in game?
2. Agree with comment that Harrison first year, Teague were not elite PG....so it's more than just a PG (but a PG is a huge part of the deal)
 
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Teague was unreal in the NCAA Tournament. Played outstanding basketball on both ends. Made FT's and clutch plays. He was planning on staying another year which would've benefit him and the '13 team but based on that play he got into the 1st Round and rest is history.

Cal sitting Fox with 2 fouls in 1st Half of Elite 8 Game was a killer but with Higgins on the game, he may have had 4 if you kept him in--it's the should he/shouldn't he question and I get why he sat him based on who officiated.

They need to get guys who can get to the rim and make plays for teammates. Hickman has a great IQ and is a better passer than any of the players on this team so that will be a big help, but would love to see a guy who can get to the line and draw a lot of fouls too brought in with him.
 
I agree we need a stud PG, but if Mintz comes back to go with Hickman it isn't bad. Hickman has a chip on his shoulder and can shoot. In a story they did on him he said he plans on being the starting PG at UK. He also talks about how he has been overlooked his whole life. The guy was ranked in the 50s+ and now is an MCD AA. As long as we have a veteran like Mintz so we don't have to rely on a Freshman I feel good with that. If Mint does leave then we need to get a Grad Transfer or upper classman to go with Hickman.
 
The thing is Teague is most definitely not our best PG and he manned the helm to take us to the promised land.

There was a point just before the NCAA tourney where the light bulb went off for Teague and he just transcended into the next level of point guard. I can't recall seeing that kind of extreme transformation very often.

1. Good call...do you know where to find one this late in game?
2. Agree with comment that Harrison first year, Teague were not elite PG....so it's more than just a PG (but a PG is a huge part of the deal)

Yes, I do know where we can find one. He resides in Ohama Nebraska and his name is Hunter Sallis. That is the place that Cal needs to have a plane booked to visit rikki tik.

I agree we need a stud PG, but if Mintz comes back to go with Hickman it isn't bad. Hickman has a chip on his shoulder and can shoot. In a story they did on him he said he plans on being the starting PG at UK. He also talks about how he has been overlooked his whole life. The guy was ranked in the 50s+ and now is an MCD AA. As long as we have a veteran like Mintz so we don't have to rely on a Freshman I feel good with that. If Mint does leave then we need to get a Grad Transfer or upper classman to go with Hickman.

Mintz isn't coming back, man. I will freely admit that I have no idea what he has planned but I just don't see it happening. That $ lure is just too strong, and why wouldn't it be.

Boston said he would be the best Wildcat to ever play the game. I guess he still could be but...

Unlike in football where someone like Josh Allen or Benny Snell can have three years to develop, Cal's system demands that we have the best possible now. I'm not sleeping on Hickman. I hope he's great. I'm just saying that Sallis is the best possible solution at this point.
 
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Elite pt guards dont grow on trees you know.

We have Hickman for next season and Skyy for the following.

We are in solid hands.
You're out of your mind if you think Hickman, who is a 4* kid, ranked in the 30's, is going to come in and take over at pg. Completely out of your mind. He's in the same mold as Askew, only he can dunk. He's a 3 or 4 year guy.

Cal needs to get Sallis or maybe get Pippen out of the transfer portal. He can't roll the dice on another high school/AAU kid that isn't ready. If you think Hickman is going to be good enough, it tells me you are 100% an Indiana fan, because you certainly have the mindset of one.
 
The thing is Teague is most definitely not our best PG and he manned the helm to take us to the promised land. Meanwhile our consensus top PGs (Wall/Fox/Ulis) didn’t make a FF. So it’s more than having an elite PG.

Honestly I’m not sure if even a Wall could’ve turned this team into a contender. We’d be way better and have a winning record, but we’d still probably have no elite post presence or great shooters/scorers for him to pass to.


He’s not our best PG but the difference between someone like Teague and someone like Askew is the difference between a Lexus and a Scwhinn bicycle. Comparatively speaking of course.
 
1. Good call...do you know where to find one this late in game?
2. Agree with comment that Harrison first year, Teague were not elite PG....so it's more than just a PG (but a PG is a huge part of the deal)
I know Teague wasn't uber elite, but he could beat his man off the bounce.

In the December game against IU, he was the one guy that was getting into the paint and creating. He was still very good.

Put Askew on that team and there's no title.
 
There was a point just before the NCAA tourney where the light bulb went off for Teague and he just transcended into the next level of point guard. I can't recall seeing that kind of extreme transformation very often.



Yes, I do know where we can find one. He resides in Ohama Nebraska and his name is Hunter Sallis. That is the place that Cal needs to have a plane booked to visit rikki tik.



Mintz isn't coming back, man. I will freely admit that I have no idea what he has planned but I just don't see it happening. That $ lure is just too strong, and why wouldn't it be.

Boston said he would be the best Wildcat to ever play the game. I guess he still could be but...

Unlike in football where someone like Josh Allen or Benny Snell can have three years to develop, Cal's system demands that we have the best possible now. I'm not sleeping on Hickman. I hope he's great. I'm just saying that Sallis is the best possible solution at this point.
Where do you think Mintz is going to get paid? He's in a 2 year program at UK that he plans to finish.

He became a better player this year and with another year at UK, he can actually get a 2nd round deal. I bet he comes back.
 
Teague was unreal in the NCAA Tournament. Played outstanding basketball on both ends. Made FT's and clutch plays. He was planning on staying another year which would've benefit him and the '13 team but based on that play he got into the 1st Round and rest is history.

Yes, I’ve always given Teague credit for being one of the only freshman we’ve ever had that played his absolute best during the tournament. Those were arguably the best 6 games he played the entire year - made us completely unguardable- it was amazing.
 
You're out of your mind if you think Hickman, who is a 4* kid, ranked in the 30's, is going to come in and take over at pg. Completely out of your mind. He's in the same mold as Askew, only he can dunk. He's a 3 or 4 year guy.

Cal needs to get Sallis or maybe get Pippen out of the transfer portal. He can't roll the dice on another high school/AAU kid that isn't ready. If you think Hickman is going to be good enough, it tells me you are 100% an Indiana fan, because you certainly have the mindset of one.
To be fair, nobody expected SGA to be as good as he was. I'm not expecting Hickman to be an All-American, but I'd be shocked if he wasn't an upgrade from Askew. I'd bet a good deal of money that he's better than freshman Askew from day one
 
To be fair, nobody expected SGA to be as good as he was. I'm not expecting Hickman to be an All-American, but I'd be shocked if he wasn't an upgrade from Askew. I'd bet a good deal of money that he's better than freshman Askew from day one


Agreed but even being better than Askew isn’t enough to lead a high profile team of entirely new players with no real offense (as John Calipari runs no offense).
 
Where do you think Mintz is going to get paid? He's in a 2 year program at UK that he plans to finish.

He became a better player this year and with another year at UK, he can actually get a 2nd round deal. I bet he comes back.

I hope he comes back but going abroad can yield a decent payday. I guess it boils down to how bad he needs money. His return would solve some glaring problems for next year.
 
There was a point just before the NCAA tourney where the light bulb went off for Teague and he just transcended into the next level of point guard. I can't recall seeing that kind of extreme transformation very often.



Yes, I do know where we can find one. He resides in Ohama Nebraska and his name is Hunter Sallis. That is the place that Cal needs to have a plane booked to visit rikki tik.



Mintz isn't coming back, man. I will freely admit that I have no idea what he has planned but I just don't see it happening. That $ lure is just too strong, and why wouldn't it be.

Boston said he would be the best Wildcat to ever play the game. I guess he still could be but...

Unlike in football where someone like Josh Allen or Benny Snell can have three years to develop, Cal's system demands that we have the best possible now. I'm not sleeping on Hickman. I hope he's great. I'm just saying that Sallis is the best possible solution at this point.
He’s not our best PG but the difference between someone like Teague and someone like Askew is the difference between a Lexus and a Scwhinn bicycle. Comparatively speaking of course.

What Teague did at the end of the year, wasn’t so much a transformation to me, but more learning to take what the defense was giving him with 4 other elite players on the floor. And that in and of itself is very impressive, it takes learned chemistry and cajones. Some players shrink back from the big stage, whereas others like Teague embraced it.

My point was more that PG play is not necessarily more important than any another position, and even if so, it isn’t the be all end all of what makes your team successful. It’s very possible a decent but not elite college PG could step up and be enough if surrounded with an elite roster.
 
To be fair, nobody expected SGA to be as good as he was. I'm not expecting Hickman to be an All-American, but I'd be shocked if he wasn't an upgrade from Askew. I'd bet a good deal of money that he's better than freshman Askew from day one
SGA is an outlier and was probably mis-evaluated, which isn't a surprise, given the fact that he is Canadian.

Hickman is definitely better than Askew, but he's not transcendent, which is damn near a requirement for any freshman that is going to come in here and run the 1. SGA wasn't transcendent, but we also lost to K State early in the tournament.

Now is not the time to roll the dice on another 30th ranked high school kid, whoever runs point next year, needs to be a legit proven guy.
 
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I hope he comes back but going abroad can yield a decent payday. I guess it boils down to how bad he needs money. His return would solve some glaring problems for next year.
In his position, why give up and settle for overseas money when you have a year of eligibility remaining at UK that can land you a cup of coffee (or more) in the league AND you can finish your degree?
 
SGA is an outlier and was probably mis-evaluated, which isn't a surprise, given the fact that he is Canadian.

Hickman is definitely better than Askew, but he's not transcendent, which is damn near a requirement for any freshman that is going to come in here and run the 1. SGA wasn't transcendent, but we also lost to K State early in the tournament.

Now is not the time to roll the dice on another 30th ranked high school kid, whoever runs point next year, needs to be a legit proven guy.
At this point, I'll take a guy who doesn't pick up his dribble at half court and can beat his man off the dribble from time to time lol.

But I get what you're saying. Hickman can be solid next year, but that still doesn't put is in contender status barring significant improvement from Askew, Mintz coming back, and the possibility of a transfer. We also don't project to have a dominant player at a different position that lessens the need for a really good PG like Davis or KAT.
 
At this point, I'll take a guy who doesn't pick up his dribble at half court and can beat his man off the dribble from time to time lol.

But I get what you're saying. Hickman can be solid next year, but that still doesn't put is in contender status barring significant improvement from Askew, Mintz coming back, and the possibility of a transfer. We also don't project to have a dominant player at a different position that lessens the need for a really good PG like Davis or KAT.
Theoretically, Collins will be our best player next year, he's the 10th ranked recruit. Oscar was the 18th ranked recruit, but he does have a year and a half at WVa that will help. Brooks is a roll player and everyone else of note will be gone.

The fact that there aren't any great players at any of the other 4 spots, reinforces the notion that we HAVE to get a dog at the 1. Hickman ain't it.

I do hope Cal sticks with this wide open offense. Shoot the 3 if it's an open shot. It works.
 
Theoretically, Collins will be our best player next year, he's the 10th ranked recruit. Oscar was the 18th ranked recruit, but he does have a year and a half at WVa that will help. Brooks is a roll player and everyone else of note will be gone.

The fact that there aren't any great players at any of the other 4 spots, reinforces the notion that we HAVE to get a dog at the 1. Hickman ain't it.

I do hope Cal sticks with this wide open offense. Shoot the 3 if it's an open shot. It works.
If Collins is the best player next season, this season might start looking a lot better.
 
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Just a competent pg would add at least 3 wins to this season. Maybe 5-7. We had such a small margin for error and lost so many games by a handful of points, Askews miscues absolutely made a giant difference.
That’s why Cal not making the switch to Mintz as the starting PG is absolutely mind boggling. It cost us a tourney invite IMO. I can’t be convinced otherwise. That and allowing Boston to fire at will.
 
There was a point just before the NCAA tourney where the light bulb went off for Teague and he just transcended into the next level of point guard. I can't recall seeing that kind of extreme transformation very often.



Yes, I do know where we can find one. He resides in Ohama Nebraska and his name is Hunter Sallis. That is the place that Cal needs to have a plane booked to visit rikki tik.



Mintz isn't coming back, man. I will freely admit that I have no idea what he has planned but I just don't see it happening. That $ lure is just too strong, and why wouldn't it be.

Boston said he would be the best Wildcat to ever play the game. I guess he still could be but...

Unlike in football where someone like Josh Allen or Benny Snell can have three years to develop, Cal's system demands that we have the best possible now. I'm not sleeping on Hickman. I hope he's great. I'm just saying that Sallis is the best possible solution at this point.
Sallis isn’t the solution. Too much risk. Tired of rolling the dice with the most important position on the floor.
 
We got one. His name is Hickman. End of story. Us sane fans find it amusing reading all of you negative Nancy's post. Please keep it up...we need some comic relief...
 
We got one. His name is Hickman. End of story. Us sane fans find it amusing reading all of you negative Nancy's post. Please keep it up...we need some comic relief...
I’ll have to go check him out. I’ve not seen him even once. Everything I’ve read seems promising.
 
Hickman is a scoring point guard ala Knight. He is a more athletic than Askew so he should be able to stay in front of the other team's guards. Askew will be backing this boy up. For those trying to downplay him, their is a reason he was named a burger boy.
 
Sallis isn’t the solution. Too much risk. Tired of rolling the dice with the most important position on the floor.
I agree. If we're talking about a 1 year stop-gap, I would much, much rather UK go the transfer route combined with Hickman and Askew. Sallis is OAD combo guard, with great measurables and athleticism. A lot of upside that, whether he reaches it or not, will not be closely approached in a UK uniform. Although he would be fun to watch, and would likely even "wow" us every now and then.

I think Hickman, on the other hand, is likely a multi-year, skilled, high IQ PG, with good measurables and athleticism - plus a wiggle and shiftiness that keep opponents off balance. I much prefer Hickman for UK. I think Hickman as a sophomore is a better PG for a good team than Sallis would be as a freshman.
 
Askew isn’t the answer. That is obvious. That doesn’t mean he can’t help in limited action. None of us know who Cal will end up getting besides Hickman. But it is clear, UK needs a point guard who can drive to the goal and stay in front of his man on defense.
 
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