What I was told from two people on Bagley...

[mj2k10]

Exactly. That kid was going pro from age 15-16. Sonny Vaccaro knew it and was already laying the ground work.

Same with McGrady, who says he'd have probably been a Cat. He was never going to have the grades to qualify because he knew he was going pro and it didn't matter.

True on Kobe, but McGrady was different. McGrady was very similar to Anthony Davis in that no one knew who the hell he was until after his junior year in HS. McGrady didn't have any kind of monster growth spurt, but he was playing for some tiny little school out in the boons in Florida. Somebody got him an invite to the ABCD camp, which was the biggest deal in scouting at that time, and people quickly realized that they were watching a monster talent.

Everything happened really fast with McGrady. In May of 96, no one knew who he was. By the end of the summer, he was considered the best player in the class. At some point in November, he made a verbal commit to UK (Vitale announced it on national TV, pretty sure during the Clemson game that kicked off UK's 96-97 season). But he didn't sign, and backed off the commit soon after. By January, it was obvious he was looking at the NBA. And yeah, grades were a major question anyway.

 

[Col. Angus]

Nope. North Carolina.

Yep.

T-Mac looks good in that UK uniform.

http://www.nba.com/magic/gallery/cohen-8ball-where-would-these-nba-stars-have-went-college/

 

[wcc31]

Yep.

T-Mac looks good in that UK uniform.

http://www.nba.com/magic/gallery/cohen-8ball-where-would-these-nba-stars-have-went-college/

Google it- Kobe said a few years back it would have been UNC NOT Duke. I hate them both but just think we need to be factually accurate here.

 

[Col. Angus]

Google it- Kobe said a few years back it would have been UNC NOT Duke. I hate them both but just think we need to be factually accurate here.

I did Google it. I linked an article stating what you said. I even said "yep", agreeing with you after reading it. Try clicking the link.

 

[gossie21]

My impression with a lot of these players is that they change their mind after the fact. Maybe Kobe was leaning toward UNC, or Duke, or LaSalle, or Kentucky. But his comments about what he would have done 15 years into his NBA career don't seem to hold a lot of weight, and tend to change.

It's like with Eric Bledsoe. He was a strong lean to UK even with Billy Gillispie here. He had a really tight relationship with Glen Cyprien (who continued to recruit him at Memphis). However, a couple years later he's saying that he would have gone to Florida if Gillispie had stayed at UK. I just don't buy that. He's basing that on hearing stories after the fact about how crazy Billy Clyde was.

At any rate, it's all hypothetical in the first place so nobody can actually be wrong or right in any of these discussions.

 

[Rupp'sRunt]

My impression with a lot of these players is that they change their mind after the fact. Maybe Kobe was leaning toward UNC, or Duke, or LaSalle, or Kentucky. But his comments about what he would have done 15 years into his NBA career don't seem to hold a lot of weight, and tend to change.

It's like with Eric Bledsoe. He was a strong lean to UK even with Billy Gillispie here. He had a really tight relationship with Glen Cyprien (who continued to recruit him at Memphis). However, a couple years later he's saying that he would have gone to Florida if Gillispie had stayed at UK. I just don't buy that. He's basing that on hearing stories after the fact about how crazy Billy Clyde was.

At any rate, it's all hypothetical in the first place so nobody can actually be wrong or right in any of these discussions.

To be fair, anyone that signed up to play for BCG must've really liked Kentucky. No one was signing up for BCG because he was a likable guy.

 

[gossie21]

To be fair, anyone that signed up to play for BCG must've really liked Kentucky. No one was signing up for BCG because he was a likable guy.

I think his assistants were likable guys. Tracy Webster, Glenn Cyprien, and even Jeremy Cox had their niches in recruiting. I know Webster was the key in getting Darius Miller to UK. Probably had a big hand in landing Liggins too.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

Can Bagley take the Hami route, mid season and then be in the draft next year? I would suspect that if he was a mid-season entry, that HE would play, rather than sit the bench, but could he never play college basketball?

 

[floatingyou]

I know he has said that. But those quotes didn't start popping up until around 2004. I'm saying that it's revisionist history. In 1996 Duke was rarely mentioned, and it was the NBA, LaSalle, or UK.

Wasn't Kobe saying this when he and K were on team USA together? I think he was buttering up K for some playing time

 

[Zakk Wyldcat]

^Maybe but, lol, any coach who needed to be buttered up to give Kobe Bryant playing time is an idiot.

 

[floatingyou]

^Maybe but, lol, any coach who needed to be buttered up to give Kobe Bryant playing time is an idiot.

yea, lots of sarcasm in that post

 

[morgousky]

My impression with a lot of these players is that they change their mind after the fact. Maybe Kobe was leaning toward UNC, or Duke, or LaSalle, or Kentucky. But his comments about what he would have done 15 years into his NBA career don't seem to hold a lot of weight, and tend to change.

It's like with Eric Bledsoe. He was a strong lean to UK even with Billy Gillispie here. He had a really tight relationship with Glen Cyprien (who continued to recruit him at Memphis). However, a couple years later he's saying that he would have gone to Florida if Gillispie had stayed at UK. I just don't buy that. He's basing that on hearing stories after the fact about how crazy Billy Clyde was.

At any rate, it's all hypothetical in the first place so nobody can actually be wrong or right in any of these discussions.

For what its worth, I was a longtime member on TBK with mod access. Maggard said right after Bledsoe committed that his camp was telling people he would have gone to Florida had G stayed. They were not going to commit to Billy, but kept it close because the loved Cyp.

 

[morgousky]

I think his assistants were likable guys. Tracy Webster, Glenn Cyprien, and even Jeremy Cox had their niches in recruiting. I know Webster was the key in getting Darius Miller to UK. Probably had a big hand in landing Liggins too.

Liggins committed to UK because he was guaranteed PG role. Cal wanted him to be a glue wing guy. Cal was pissed when he committed to UK without taking a visit to Memphis.

 

[LeonThe Camel]

I was asked to try and make some contacts about Bagley and instead of telling you what I think, I'm going to share with you what I was told. These accounts are not word for word, I took notes while discussing.

Person 1 on Bagley:

"I don't see him being able to re-classify even though they want him too right now. Rumor has it, he doesn't have the requirements yet to be able to get into UK and Duke. USC could be the big spot if he comes in December, which is more likely to me."I think the family prefers Kentucky if all things were equal, but things aren't. I would heavy favor USC if he is a December enroll. Kid is BIG BIG TIME."


Person 2 on Bagley:

"His people are communicating with other players in the 2018 class as if he is going to be apart of the 2018 class. I think if he could play college this year, then he would. He doesn't need another year of high school basketball. The buzz is Duke because that's the first visit, but I think Kentucky is right there. USC would be the "family wants to watch" choice. If he waits until next year, I would bet some money on Kentucky."

So there you go, that's all I got for you all.

-Coach

So basically, no new information. 2 different "people" with differing opinions meaning no one knows anything.

 

[gossie21]

Liggins committed to UK because he was guaranteed PG role. Cal wanted him to be a glue wing guy. Cal was pissed when he committed to UK without taking a visit to Memphis.

I don't know if it was that strait-forward. There was a power struggle with Liggins between his mother and his guardian. UK allied with mom, Memphis was working the guardian route. Mom won.

 

[Rupp'sRunt]

I think his assistants were likable guys. Tracy Webster, Glenn Cyprien, and even Jeremy Cox had their niches in recruiting. I know Webster was the key in getting Darius Miller to UK. Probably had a big hand in landing Liggins too.

Was miller ever not going to UK?

 

[Rupp'sRunt]

Liggins committed to UK because he was guaranteed PG role. Cal wanted him to be a glue wing guy. Cal was pissed when he committed to UK without taking a visit to Memphis.

If ya can't beat em join em

 

[gossie21]

Was miller ever not going to UK?

Oh yeah. He was not terribly interested in UK at the end of the Tubby era. Illinois was the perceived leader until we hired Tracy Webster away from there.

 

[Col. Angus]

For what its worth, I was a longtime member on TBK with mod access. Maggard said right after Bledsoe committed that his camp was telling people he would have gone to Florida had G stayed. They were not going to commit to Billy, but kept it close because the loved Cyp.

It was rumored that Cyp was paying for Bledsoe to have a cell phone at the time. Dude was going to commit to UK.

Liggins committed to UK because he was guaranteed PG role. Cal wanted him to be a glue wing guy. Cal was pissed when he committed to UK without taking a visit to Memphis.

I don't know if it was that strait-forward. There was a power struggle with Liggins between his mother and his guardian. UK allied with mom, Memphis was working the guardian route. Mom won.

UK got Liggins because they focused on the mom and was able to get her on the visit with him when she wasn't going on other visits with him. They apparently never got to spend a great deal of time together and UK was able to get her on the visit when other schools were working the guardian, like you said.

Was miller ever not going to UK?

He was rumored to be an Illinois lean until UK hired Tracy Webster.

 

[morgousky]

I don't know if it was that strait-forward. There was a power struggle with Liggins between his mother and his guardian. UK allied with mom, Memphis was working the guardian route. Mom won.

There was definitely a different position between the two, but G offering a pg role to liggins is what did it. He was not recruited to be a pg at Memphis.

 

[morgousky]

It was rumored that Cyp was paying for Bledsoe to have a cell phone at the time. Dude was going to commit to UK.




UK got Liggins because they focused on the mom and was able to get her on the visit with him when she wasn't going on other visits with him. They apparently never got to spend a great deal of time together and UK was able to get her on the visit when other schools were working the guardian, like you said.



He was rumored to be an Illinois lean until UK hired Tracy Webster.

Its true, but Liggins wanted to play PG out of high school. Cal wanted him in different role, that's why the decision was made by Liggins in the end.

I rememeber Memphis being stunned by the decision before Cal could sell his pitch. Memphis wasn't going to happen with UK offering exactly what he wanted.