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.
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.
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.