ADVERTISEMENT

What J Givony has to say about our recruits

Man I think it’s time for Cal to move on…but I’m not that pessimistic yet. Who knows?
You think a bunch of freshmen are going to come in, having never played together before, and only sustain 6 total losses?

That's not being pessimistic, that’s using common sense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: delk4three
The one where you stated that Cal is stupid because he will play Wagner more than Reed? Opening day of practice is what, 7 to 8 months away and you have already settled into your new theme for next year. You are way ahead of the rest of the whiners.
That exact post, yes. Cal plays favorites, looks at stars next to the name and tries to get guys to the nba after one year whether they need to leave or not. Have you not been following this team since 2009? If Wagner comes in and shows he can shoot better than Reed and make good decisions and play D, then he sure needs to play. But the way Cal does it is just the opposite and if u don’t see it I cannot help you.
 
That exact post, yes. Cal plays favorites, looks at stars next to the name and tries to get guys to the nba after one year whether they need to leave or not. Have you not been following this team since 2009? If Wagner comes in and shows he can shoot better than Reed and make good decisions and play D, then he sure needs to play. But the way Cal does it is just the opposite and if u don’t see it I cannot help you.

Not disagreeing with you but they both have 5 stars next to their name.
 
It won't matter, if he's not on the NBA's radar, he’s not going to get minutes over guys that are, not with Cal coaching.
That’s generally been the case but it’s funny it hasn’t been with
Team is going to struggle mightily next year, especially if we only return Livingston from our top 7 rotation and he isn't even a guarantee.

Edwards is the best of the bunch but he plays a position that Cal really struggles to maximize, especially if you aren't a good shooter.

Wagner is more in the Cal mold for a guard which is both a good and bad thing. Good in that he can beat guys off the dribble which Cal's outdated offense desperately needs, bad in the sense that he can't shoot and zone is going to give us fits. Also not a great sign that Wagner has been trending consistently down since he was in 9th grade.

Bradshaw is going to get shoved around, Cal loves him because he's tall and has a big wingspan and can finish lobs and block shots. Sounds like Skal.

Dillingham is going to drive us as fans absolutely insane. I doubt Cal lets him off his leash but even if he does it may not be for the best. He is also way too small, another issue we seem to have at point guard recently after years of having massive point guards.

I have high hopes for Reed but not sold yet. Fan base is going to overrate him because he is a KY boy and because of who his dad is. Cal is going to underrate him for those very same reasons and because he doesn't value shooting. I think he can contribute and has a high basketball IQ, but he has some games where he struggles in high school so thats not the best sign.
Wagner has not been trending down since 9th grade considering he just lost his consensus number 1 ranking in his class . Also it’s rare for a guy to be ranked 1st in 9th and maintain it for as long as he did anyway .
 
I think Wagner does one thing really well and that’s something that other teams have no problem shutting down in college when it’s the only thing you do well.
 
Dillingham is gonna be a really electric player that will be very flashy and even though I suspect his shooting will not be great, NBA scouts will love his potential. I'm just not sure about Wagner, surely his three point shooting will improve.
If he can't shoot by the time he's gotten to college...it's not going to change.
My concern about Wagner is that he’s thru developing but Cal had to take him for recruiting sake. We shall see.

Guards that can’t shoot are anathema.
6'1 and can't shoot. Gonna be rough road to hoe
 
Cal just LOVES kids that struggle shooting but are great athletes. It blows my mind how highly ranked the services place kids that shoot 25% from 3 in this day and age of basketball.

Reed may not be as highly ranked, but he CAN shoot the basketball from ANYWHERE on the floor.
I think some people are gonna be thoroughly surprised at just how damn good Reed really is. Bradshaw was quoted as saying that Reed was the best shooter in the 2023 class. Not only that, but he has a damn good handle and all the intangibles of a great college player. You can’t teach the basketball IQ like he has.
 
  • Like
Reactions: catben
Basketball is more than a game of horse.

I can already tell what players are going to be the whipping boys for rafters next season and which player is going to be given favoritism, even if he isn't one of the best players next year.
You have something against white players or something? Sure seems like it. Or is it just players from the state or Kentucky?
 
  • Like
Reactions: delk4three
Edwards sounds like he has the potential to be a really good college player even if he’s considered more of a “high floor” NBA prospect.

The rest of this report is honestly not all that encouraging since it seems likely that these are the guys we’ll be expecting to carry the team next year. I’m especially getting a little worried about Wagner because this isn’t the first place I’ve read about him not improving as much as expected after generating the initial hype in his first couple of years of high school. I hope I end up being wrong about him, but a guard who loves to attack out of iso situations, but doesn’t shoot, pass, or defend particularly well doesn’t sound like a recipe for any kind of success in the SEC, much less the program savior he’s occasionally been cast as on here due to his high ranking.
Yeah. Haven’t been impressed with him in a year or so. Great at getting to the bucket and has a smooth handle. However, he can’t shoot and that’ll be a detriment to the rest of his game. Hope I’m wrong and he kills it. I would take a kid with Reed’s skill set over Wagner every day of the week.
 
I think some people are gonna be thoroughly surprised at just how damn good Reed really is. Bradshaw was quoted as saying that Reed was the best shooter in the 2023 class. Not only that, but he has a damn good handle and all the intangibles of a great college player. You can’t teach the basketball IQ like he has.
He just has to be allowed to play. That’s going to require Cal to sit an NBA draft prodpect.
I have my doubts.
 
I keep reading a lot of negative comments from analysts on our 2 incoming guards and they're all pretty consistent.
The fact that they're undersized iso guys that struggle to shoot, is alarming.
Bradshaw is a 7' stringbean, I hope he likes contact, because he’s going to get muscled a lot at this level.
Cal needs to get an elite PF, who knows, maybe Adou can play the 4.
This looks like a 10+ loss team to me. An undersized freshmen backcourt, that can't shoot, is a bad combo.
Cal needs to find a top PF transfer. I've never thought just these 5 were going to dominate college BB playing all the mins. We need some solid returns and transfers as always.

As far as under sized guards we had a 5ft8 guy most of the year and last year so I'm good with 6ft3 and 6ft1. However I don't keep up with it like I use to and didn't realize they both were poor outside shooters. Ekkk!
 
I keep reading a lot of negative comments from analysts on our 2 incoming guards and they're all pretty consistent.
The fact that they're undersized iso guys that struggle to shoot, is alarming.
Bradshaw is a 7' stringbean, I hope he likes contact, because he’s going to get muscled a lot at this level.
Cal needs to get an elite PF, who knows, maybe Adou can play the 4.
This looks like a 10+ loss team to me. An undersized freshmen backcourt, that can't shoot, is a bad combo.
Regardless what anyone says next yrs backcourt will be able to create and score. Both guys can operate out of the pick n roll and should be serviceable from 3. Typically, I agree with things you say but this backcourt has lateral quickness and shiftiness we haven't had in awhile.
 
I keep reading a lot of negative comments from analysts on our 2 incoming guards and they're all pretty consistent.
The fact that they're undersized iso guys that struggle to shoot, is alarming.
Bradshaw is a 7' stringbean, I hope he likes contact, because he’s going to get muscled a lot at this level.
Cal needs to get an elite PF, who knows, maybe Adou can play the 4.
This looks like a 10+ loss team to me. An undersized freshmen backcourt, that can't shoot, is a bad combo.
Reed will play. Bottom line. Any kid with fundamentals that kid has will be on the floor. He can shoot aswell
 
Regardless what anyone says next yrs backcourt will be able to create and score. Both guys can operate out of the pick n roll and should be serviceable from 3. Typically, I agree with things you say but this backcourt has lateral quickness and shiftiness we haven't had in awhile.
Wow, you're really good at sarcasm. I mean, I was getting ready to debate you and… ..



Wait, you're not kidding. Oh boy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: delk4three
My concern about Wagner is that he’s thru developing but Cal had to take him for recruiting sake. We shall see.

Guards that can’t shoot are anathema.
100% with you on Guards who can’t shoot. But when I’ve watched both Wagner and Dillingham they seem to have nice looking form and the ability to get that 3 pt. shot off quickly. I think their percentages are lower than they could be due to the difficulty of the shots they attempt. Basically, they are undisciplined in the shots they take. Also, I expect Wagner, Dillingham and Shepherd will all have a development curve as far as being a consistent 3 pt. shooter in the college game. But I feel like they all have great promise as perimeter shooters – especially Dillingham and Shepherd. It’s just that I fear that only Shepherd will still be at UK when he actually becomes a really good college 3 pt. shooter.
 
I don’t know if these five Freshmen will be any good in college or not, but from 2010-2015 UK was in the running almost every year with elite Freshmen leading the way. Now we have a team of veterans and we barely remember our last NCAA tourney win back in 2019.

This team is shaping up to be a team that looks more like his 2010-2015 era teams than his recent ones.

Does that mean a better team? Time will tell. But Cal has found more success with young elite talent than he has with marginally talented veterans.
 
I keep reading a lot of negative comments from analysts on our 2 incoming guards and they're all pretty consistent.
The fact that they're undersized iso guys that struggle to shoot, is alarming.
Bradshaw is a 7' stringbean, I hope he likes contact, because he’s going to get muscled a lot at this level.
Cal needs to get an elite PF, who knows, maybe Adou can play the 4.
This looks like a 10+ loss team to me. An undersized freshmen backcourt, that can't shoot, is a bad combo.

Cal will get him on a building program...10,000 calories a day...and soup beans and cornbread too !!!! LOL

AlohaCat
 
That exact post, yes. Cal plays favorites, looks at stars next to the name and tries to get guys to the nba after one year whether they need to leave or not. Have you not been following this team since 2009? If Wagner comes in and shows he can shoot better than Reed and make good decisions and play D, then he sure needs to play. But the way Cal does it is just the opposite and if u don’t see it I cannot help you.
I have followed UK very closely since 1968. You definitely can't help me.
 
He just has to be allowed to play. That’s going to require Cal to sit an NBA draft prodpect.
I have my doubts.
He won't but boy would that be a turning point for Cal. Same with a soph Thiero.

My favorite non-UK team since the OAD boom was the '18 Nova team. Gillespie/Brunson/DiVencenzo at PG in a 5 out offense was just lethal. Reed could be in that mold.

I can see Wagner as a Cole Anthony type lead guard more than a two looking to drive.
 
You think a bunch of freshmen are going to come in, having never played together before, and only sustain 6 total losses?

That's not being pessimistic, that’s using common sense.
I have no idea. No idea who returns or who transfers in that would blend into the roster and supplement the frosh. No idea how strong the conference will be next year.
 
Yeah, that is what I'm saying, Wagner and Dillingham both have good form and are receiving top level coaching, they could easily pop to 40% in college, what you can't teach is the ball handling and 1v1 ability they have.
It would be interesting to see what percentage each of our incoming recruits shoots at the free-throw line. I watched Edwards and they said his FT-shooting was a weakness that he needed to work on. I think he shoots around 60%.
 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT