in my opinion, there are two primary primary paths of interpretation to the rule, both of which lead me to believe that Wall will not likely be eligible for this year's draft
1) in order to be eligible for the draft, (1) nba season must elapse since the time of his HS graduation.
since he hasn't graduated, and thus 1 year has not passed since such graduation, the above interpretation would mean that Wall is ineligible for this year's draft.
2) in the case of a player who has not graduated from HS, in order to be eligible for the draft, at least (1) nba season must elapse from the point in time that such player WOULD HAVE GRADUATED from HS.
i think there are at least two ways of looking at this. but you must initially address which class Wall "should have" graduated with. remember, he's a fifth year senior, so should he have graduated in 2008 or 2009.
-if you take the first approach (i.e., 2008), the only way that Wall could be eligible for this year's draft is by NOT GRADUATING (i.e., dropping out) this year, so as to effectuate the "should have graduated" language and use 2008 as the period to being the tolling of the 1 year period. clearly, encouraging a player to make such a decision/allowing this loophole is contrary to public policy, and i would be surprised to see a committee reading the rule in this manner.
-if you take the second approach and say that Wall "should have graduated" in 2009, then you are again left with a scenario in which the 1 year period has not tolled, thus making Wall ineligible for this year's draft.
despite this, i believe that i read that the Committee will make its evaluation on a "case by case" basis, meaning that it can use its own discretion to decide Wall's eligibility. however, given the above straightforward interpretation alternatives above, a Committee that rules to the contrary would be going against the spirit* of the rule (i.e., allowing the a year off after HS/making SOME college quasi-mandatory)
- Thanks for the rundown Chud, pretty informative stuff. I wont hate on the kid, if he finds a loophole I hope he can exploit it, if not I hope he comes to UK.
- Jeff Drummond at the Catspause had some interesting stuff tonight, he claims that UK is trying to sell Xavier Henry to UK by offering a spot at the point for his bro at PG. Now CJ Henry will not be taking up a scholarship because the Yankees have to pay his tuition, but Drummond thinks this might wrap up the class. He first said we would back off Wall, then he back tracked when people were outraged at the notion.
- I do know this, right now you have to take X Henry, even if you have to give a non scholarship spot to his bro. John Wall is not saying the most comforting things right now, so you have to take what you can get at the moment and work the rest out later. Do the deed to get Henry, and then work it out for John Wall if you have to.
- UK is one over the scholly limit at the moment, as long as D. Orton stays committed. We can speculate, but no one knows what returning players may have to leave, if any. Coach Cal has been all class so far at UK and I cant see him making someone leave who doesnt want to.
- Someone might end up out in the cold, assume we can get Henry, Wall, and Dennis. We are one over so say D. Williams gives up his schooly for Orton, then you have to cut three additional players to take those three. Im sure we would all guess Harrelson and Stewart would be willing to go because they have two years of eligibility left. So if they do want to leave, that means its likely Pilgrim or Liggins would have to leave, if they are eligible to play at all next season. Perry and Ramon are not going to be asked to leave, of course if Meeks and/or Patterson were to turn pro that would free up another ride.
- The point is that there is so much in the air right now, not only are we trying to get a lot of players, we have to get rid of a lot of players in order to do so. Its going to be tough.
- I have great news, Chris has been invited to UKs practice tomorrow, and will interviewing a couple of players of his choice. He should have some exciting stuff for us to read tomorrow night.
i shall look forward to hearing chris's observations!
yeah, shane, everytime i get excited about the recruits that we may get, i realize that we'll have take scholarships away from existing players, which is kind of a downer
- Chris talked to his Kansas guy again, dude told him that from talking to Xavier and reading his body language he got the feeling he wanted to go to UK. However he said he thinks his parents want him to attend KU, so it could go either way. I think hes gonna touch on it tomorrow, there should be some good stuff tomorrow at Kentucky Ink later on in the evening.
Chud, that was a sweet breakdown.. It was long as shit, but I read every bit of it..
Shane, thats great news about Henry.. I hope we get him, and it seems as if we are more likely to land him than Wall, in all honesty tho, if we get either they are going to have such a major impact its not even going to be funny..
have you all been reading about how cal only thinks we can win 15-16 games next season?
it seems odd to me because of the guys we could have returning, and the guys we have a good shot at getting. now i know a lots still up in the air, but as of right now i just don't get that statement.
maybe he's just trying to lower the shit out of our expectations so that he can "win" here even if he loses. i don't know, just my take on it.
shane, as for your comment, i told you henry was just outside of that photo. hehe
i'd be extremely happy with either player, but i think the addition of wall could give us some serious potential.
i keep hearing that any one of cousins/henry/wall are the biggest recruit we've had since bogans, and all are potential one and dones. i believe bogans was expected to be with us for only two years, but we got him for 4. hopefully, one or all of these new guys will stay with us for awhile. but if not, the world seems pretty confident that Cal can bring in another group of studs the following year.
if Cal's system ends up working on a bigger stage, it'll be interesting to see whether other college coaches try to adopt similar offensive schemes. afterall, i read that Cal sarted using his current offense after only one meeting with the offense's mastermind -- some juco or HS coach out west.
so we open the football season playing miami in cincy at the bengals home stadium, eh?
anybody interested in going to this? it be a fun little day trip
man, miami used to DOMINATE! what in the hell happened? did larry coker really just run that program in to the ground or what? that's a real question, noting rhetorical about it, i really want to know what the hell happened
i didn't wanna post this on d-ville for the simple reason that i knew no one else would care.
greedo, i think poo poo head has become a freakin dark horse in AI this year. i mean i still hate everything about him, mainly just because he had some disgusting swagger a couple weeks back. but, the dudes brought it the last 2 weeks.
and our boy PIPES brings it SO hard every week. is there any doubt that he's gonna win it all? i mean really? he is just SO far and above everyone else it's hilarious.
- Nolan Dennis has allegedly dropped UK from his list because the University has put him on the back burner, Im not sure how true this is, but Coach Cal must feel good about Henry if we are not at least trying to keep a leash on Dennis.
- Rivals updated rankings came out today, Bledsoe became a 5* and Daniel Orton maintained his 5* ranking despite missing the entire season.
-his kinda danced around the question of whether he is going or will go after wall/henry/dennis/jucos, and he basically said that he hasn't spoken with any of them. at least that's how i heard it. this is certainly contrary to reports that he met with wall and henry in a hotel lobby. in my opinion, he could have just stopped after he said that he hoped the kids who signed with memphis would stick with their commitment. it would be disingenuous, sure, but a lot farther away from a boldfaced lie.
bro, i heard as if he was saying he wanted ppl currently at memphis to stay put. i think it's obvious to everyone that he's going for henry and wall.
so patterson entered his name in the draft. i still think that there's a 70% chance that he comes back. i honestly think he loves UK, and wants to be a part of this program when it returns to greatness. and, with other talented big men around him next year he'll be able to flourish b/c teams won't be able to double him.
lets start a conversation on who we thinks gonna get the boot. i think its the following
harrelson stewart williams possibly pilgrim possibly liggins if we get wall
- Early indications are that Cal has been pleased with Pilgrim. I think no way Williams is on scholarship if he returns, Stewart and Harrellson cant possibly hope to see the court next year, and I agree Liggo is on the chopping block despite my deep affection for the dude.
- Dude it makes me so happy to hear Liggo is gonna be back next year, and that JC is gonna give him a real shot. I got so frustrated this year with people hating on Liggins, cause I could tell the kid had talent, he was just scared to death to do anything. The poor guy got yanked for anything, ranging from having a turnover to hitting a shot, it didnt matter. Hopefully academics wont be an issue, cause I think he will end up being a great 4 year player for us if he gets the chance.
agreed. if this system is what it claims to be, i think it will eventually be a very nice fit for Liggins. If only Cal was here when Barbour was playing...
Im not sure we want Liggins as our starting PG next year, but I agree that dude had flashes of greatness and I really wish he would have gotten a shot.. He is easily better than Porter and I still dont know how fagtag went a whole year without playing him..
That sucks about Dennis.. There is no doubt that I would rather pursue Henry and his Bro, and there is also no doubt that I want to keep Jon Hood.. It seems like him being a second option was the logical choice for us and I think its pretty cool to actually be able to understand what your coach is doing..
Does anyone disagree that we have to take the local talent over outsiders just to keep the Big Blue Nation happy??
I love the thought of local talent.. The fact that Rondo and Miller went to HS in KY and played for UK gives me a sense of pride.. I dont know, maybe its just me..
- Local talent doesnt do that much for me, I think I got burned from Blevins, Josh Carrier, and Brandon Stockton. I want the best, wherever they are from is cool for me. I can understand why it means a lot to some people, but for me it does nothing.
i'm all for local talent, and i stress "talent." i don't think we should just be giving scholarships to local guys who are just decent just to appease the fanbase, and i think that's exactly what we did with blevins, tackett, stockton, and chiles. i think we should focus on getting the best players possible, and when our state produces top talent, we get them to stay here. unlike the football program, our b-ball team doesn't really depend so much on retaining local talent
I think you guys are taking my comment the completely wrong way.. Im not talking about Carrier or Stockton..
Im talking about not losing kids like Rondo and Hood to out of state sachools..
The fact that Hood is top 50 nationally and comin to UK is awesome to me... If he were to go to say TN like Lofton and burn our asses time after time it would seriously make me sick..
point taken greedo, when you wrote that we should take local talent over outsiders, i thought you were saying that the "local" attribute of a player might outweigh certain attributes of an outside player. i totally agree that Cal shouldn't neglect keeping top-shelf talent in state
i don't know about you guys, but im extremely pumped to have tony delk come back to the program. he was my favorite player growing up, and i can't wait to look at that little body and gigantic arm combo once again.
- Well guys this morning Chris called me and told me a whole lot of crazy stuff out BCG and what lead to his exit. Its time for Chapter 2 of Billy the Terrible.
- Last night Chris had dinner with a physical therapist who is best friends with Derrick Jasper. He visited Jasper from California 3 years ago and liked it so much he transferred to UK. Jodie Meeks and D. Jasper were room mates until Jasper transferred and during that time Jasper's boy from Cali became like best friends with Jodie Meeks, and remains so. So that is where this information is coming from, this is what Jodie Meeks claims was going on behind the scenes.
- Apparently BCG and Jodie Meeks clashed with each other from day one, last year BCG would call Jodie a pussy for not playing. Ortestes Meeks called BCG last seaosn and told him that if he didnt stop calling Meeks a pussy he was pulling him off the team. In fact it appears Jodie was one of the players considering a transfer at the end of last season we heard so much about.
- Matt Jones already reported on the Witness shirts, so I wont repeat it, but that guy told Chris the same thing last night.
- When Leon Smith was cleaning out BCGs desk he found an invitation for Meeks to be a counselor at Paul Pierces Basketball Camp this summer. The paperwork was just sitting there and he hadnt even notified Jodie and it was time sensitive. In fact they had to expedite it just to get it there on time. Can you imagine being such a dick to a young kid who had aspirations of playing in the NBA and would have a chance to get his name out there and rub shoulders with NBA players?
- We all know about the meltdown in the lockeroom after the Notre Dame game, but he offered Chris some details. BCG never liked the attention Jodie got this season, hell he told him to stop shooting during the Tennessee game and he shot over 50% in route to scoring 54 points, he refused to let them wear his shirts, and verabally assaulted Jeneane Edwards on national TV for praising him too much. Well during halftime of the game he demanded that Jodie Meeks say that he was selfish, and Jodie refused. BCG then told him to take off his jersey and that he wasnt playing in the second half, and Jodie still refused to say it and remove his jersey BCG cleared everyone out of the room and TRIED TO HOLD THE DOOR SHUT WITH TWO HANDS TO KEEP JODIE IN THE LOCKER ROOM.
- The guy said that the team was so close with each other because they went through a hellish experience together, and sometimes all they had was each other to make it through it. There were times when BCG would go too far and the team would have to refuse to do something in order for him to let a player back in the fold, or on a bus or what not.
* Over the Top Alert*
- This might just be too much, I know it was for me, the point of the story were BCG is just laughing evilly and twirling his mustache. Still this was part of what the guy told Chris. He said that BCGs mother came to visit him for a week this year and he ignored her. She brought him Jelly Beans because they were his favorite candy when he was a kid, and he told Coach Cox to " throw away the damn jelly beans and keep her away from him."
- I just cant believe what an unbelievable bastard we had at the helm of our program for two years, Im honestly embarrassed.
Once again, shane thanks so much for the input.. It reaffirms everything that I thought about that doouche..
Im embarassed as well, and I feel sorry for the kids.. Honestly, this is supposed to be the best time of their lives.. These kids dreamed about playing college ball at a place like UK for their whole lives I'm sure..
As ffor the tip about Henry, I just want to again say that it is fucking awesome to be able to understand what your coach is doing.. Henry looks like the more gettable target right now.. Wall is just all over the place.. And like I said adding either one of them will just be so huge for us..
i mean a knew he was a tough guy, but shit! shane, that was some intense shit.
if that's true no wonder he went for 54 in that game. it wasn't the trash talk that the UT guys were saying, it was the fact that he hated his coach so much. holy gees, that was some wild info on billy the terrible.
i'll admit if i had any suspicion of this while the season was going on i would've never pleaded my case of him remaining our coach. all i was arguing was the fact that we needed stabilty in the program, and the fact that i didn't think we had a chance of getting anyone better in as coach. but, not only did we get a better coach, but that guy was a stabilized dick head! again my apology's, i wish i would've known this stuff sooner.
in other news, i'm about to begin skeeting in my pants non stop! not only is THUNDER on saturday, but we're about to have the sickest recruiting class in the nation!
think about having a lineup so strong, that dudes have to sit on the bench for the simple fact that we can't start 7-8 guys! i mean we're just gonna have freakish talent sitting on the bench! and not because their in the dog house or anything, but because there's even sicker talent currently on the floor!
AHHHHHH!!!!!!! I LOVE KENTUCKY BASKETBALL!!!!!! HERE ME ROAR!!!!!!!
Shane, I highly respect your opinion regarding UK sports but couldn't disagree more when you said "Coach Cal has been all class so far at UK and I cant see him making someone leave who doesnt want to."
Seriously?
I mean, I am not one of those guys that thinks he is a slimeball or anything...in fact, I think people that say that are mostly jealous of his success and his confidence...but what he has done regarding recruiting for UK in the last couple of weeks is really crummy (and a lot less than classy) if you ask me...
Greedo, how bout we go double or nothing on that $40...you know that UK comes to STATE next year
When Cal left Memphis, he publicly stated that he hoped all the kids that committed/signed to Memphis would stay with Memphis...and then he turned right around and start recruiting them (Henry, Cousins)...that's classless
Honestly, I don't have a problem with him pursuing those players per se...I have a major problem with him saying that they should honor their commitments to Memphis, and then turn right around and recruit them...if he wanted them to follow, to don't say any BS like you want them to stay with Memphis
FWIW, when Roy Williams left Kansas for UNC, he publicly stated that all the kids that committed to him should stay with Kansas (much like Cal said about Memphis)...and much like Cal's situation, the players didn't listen and they wanted to follow Roy Williams to UNC (including David Padgett)...Roy refused to recruit them or offer them scholarships and owned up to his word...
Like I said, I really don't think I have a problem with him taking those kids if he didn't say anything...but when you say that you hope the kids stay with Memphis, then turn around and actively recruit them to your new school...I think it speaks volumes about your character
But then again, this is college recruiting...it's an ugly ugly game
All that aside, UK is doin' big thangs out there right now...
But I really feel the UK's #1 priority SHOULD be getting Meeks and PPatt to come back...but I know it is alot sexier and more fun to focus on new recruits
- Sone Im referring to all the things that he has said thus far at UK, he really has been all class bro. Hes just said all the right things and right now he is a media darling at UK much like Rick was once.
- As for the recruits, this is just my opinion, and anyone can dispute it and I wont say anything but I think if they are released from their LOI they're fair game. I mean they wanted to play for the man, they were the ones who were considering UK and Cal before he even began a back and forth. I can see the other side of the argument, what Roy did was really the tops, but Cal has behaved with the decommitted recruits exactly the way I would, so I for one cant be critical.
- Including the recruits that were all ready coming, if he told them he thought they wouldnt be good fits and wouldnt honor their commitments then its a little more gray. However the fan in me wins out and says that if they arent good enough to play, then its a waste for them and a waste for the University.
- What I was originally intending to reference however was just how impressed at how well he has handled the public so far. On the heels of BCG its a really fresh breath of air.
- As for Jodie and Pat theres not too much to discuss until they've worked out a little, but you are right, they are proven goods on the court and are what is most important.
Second, I know I am obviously biased, but dude is a recruiter man. That's what he does. These are his guys man. As a coach and especially a coach that is known as a recruiter I feel like you have certain guys that are your targets for each year. Especially coach cal with his unique style of play. He recruits guys that fit his system and dude is good as shit at it. If these are his established targets for the year, the ones he has focused on and already put in work on, then I can totally see taking them. If they were already released and shit, theyre gonna go somewhere man. Might as well put all your hard work to use!!
agreed! shane, the info that you bring to this blog is TOP NOTCH!!! i remember once upon a time when the only thing i ever learned about UK in the off season was from a few measly sentences in CJ's college basketball notebook
the magic of the internet bro. now when we read stuff in the paper we've already known it for at least 20 hours. i'm sorry to say, but the physical paper business is a dying business.
i'm surprised no ones made a comment about how good that rap video is. i mean the dude sounds exactly like rick ross, and he mentions every bit of UK tradition. i wasn't kidding, i think it's really good.
Cal is indeed making moves with Thugs. I don't know why he would set the bar so low though. At least he may be being realistic. Not everybody will get that system right away so they may have to have a U of L type season which I don't think you guys would mind.
What I mean by that is that the team will hopefully be hitting their stride come March. Rick has his teams ready come March and we all know it.
The NBA will be there for Wall regardless so no matter where he goes he better 1. Learn how to play Defense, 2. Get damn jumper. I know it's an All Star game but his lack of trying on D was hilarious and offputting. Yes he's explosive and can pass but he may have to tone down the flash a lil bit too. Dude is J-Will without the jumper.
well shane, matt jones just reported from one of his sources what you got from fish over a week ago about the wall situation. the more the merrier is all i can say. things are about to get NUTS in the commonwealth!!
shane, or anyone, why did xavier decide not to visit us? i view this as a bad sign, considering he's said he knows nothing about our history/program...but then again maybe he just doesn't want to waste a visit and already knows he's coming here.
- Him not visiting doesnt really mean anything, I know that sounds stupid but it really doesnt. As off putting as this statement is, its simply the truth right now, the only reason he would come to UK is for Cal. He was probably 7 or 8 years old the last time UK made a Final Four, so of course he doesnt know anything about our program, sure we havent been off the map that whole time, but for a kid from the midwest we have. No Final Fours or Championships means kids in that part of America probably dont know jack about us.
- Chris spoke with Carl Henry today and was told that they would have a decision by Wed, however in the last half hour Henry has said that information has changed and his kids will be making a visit. So at least you have your visit.
- Carl Henry did tell Chrus that his sons went to Memphis for Cal, for his style of play, and that the only thing that has changed is Cal is at a bigger name school. So that sounds promising.
- The bottom line, is that X has had his whole life to commit to KU and he hasnt, and I think based on what Chris has been hearing from his KU people that he is close to committing to UK. I think he would easily commit to UK without visiting if he bases his college decision on wanting to play for Cal. Chris got the impression from Carl Henry during a previous conversation that he new his sons were going to commit to UK, he just wanted them to visit before they did so. Hopefully this is the scenario that is playing out, but whether or not they are leaning to UK, nothing is close to final until an announcement is made because family is involved, and they want him at KU. Its getting close one way or another.
- Hubbs you are right about it prolly going to take UK a while to hit its stride next year, no matter what the roster looks like in the end, because they are implementing a radically new system. If we do end up with a bunch of young players then it will be a little more of an adjustment however it is one I will gladly sit through, you know?
- As for Wall, no one plays defense in those games, I can imagine someone with his freakish athleticisim not being able to play D, but even if hes not a great defender I hope we get him. He'll get a jumper someday, maybe not during his stop over in college, but hes so fast he probably wont need one to be a dominant player in college. I just hope we get him Hubbs.
here's a thought: we don't need scholarships to be available in order to get wall and henry
from all i've read, these guys are pretty much locks to go to the league. why can't they just take out a student loan like me to pay for school? there's no limit to how many players can be on a team, as evidenced by the fact that we had like 30 ninjas on our beanch this past year, so why not just have the guys walk-on and take out loans?
this is truly my own thought. i haven't read anything of this sort anywhere else.
I feel you Shane. I hope the rest of the nation understand that. You can't just put a All Star team out there and expect them to beat teams that played together 1 or 2yrs. Every player coming in is use to having the ball during crunch time, and being the man on their team. They will have to learn to defer to others in order to be the team everybody is wanting them to be.
With 3yrs of preperation Greedo. They tried to put a nice time together before and we didn't even win our division and got a bronze. Those European teams play years together and even if they aren't the most talented, they collectively beat teams.
IMO there will never be a Kobe or Lebron just like we will never see a Bill Russell, Wilt or Shaq ever again. Those are one of kinds. There ain't a kid in the world right now with the instinct of Kobe and shear athleticism of Lebron. It wouldn't be fair to even compare them.
If your lucky, and I do mean lucky, he can get the Joe Johnson types. That guy is sick but he's super humble and quiet.
I get what your saying though but he won't be the one to mold them in to the player your thinking. That will be the player and at the next level. You don't get that good in 1yr of college ball IMO.
1) You not putting Jordan on that list is a disgrace.. We all know Jordan had more of an impact on the league than anyone else in the history of the NBA.
2) The fact of the matter is that there may not be another Kobe or Lebron, but everyone is different and leaves a different legacy.
That being said, the kids coming up these days now have to go to school and with us pulling in top recruits year in and year out we are bound to have a Kobe or Lebron type all star come through UK.
Fuck, for all we know, we could have one this year.
3) You dont get that good in one year of college bball?? Thats just an absurd comment to make and I think you know better. Just look at Lebron's rookie year, imagine if he would have went to college.
Fuck imagining, Carmello Anthony.
They dont have to be developed, they dont have to be taught, they just have to be unleashed and thats what Coach Cal is good at.
I am in no way saying that every future NBA All Star will come through UK, or even that he will bring in a future All Star every year or every other year. All I am saying is that we are bound to get some, and that excites the fuck outta me.
Well I thought Jordan is self explanitory. Honestly I was going to put him on the list but you got what I was saying.
Melo thrived mainly in the tourney just like D-Wade did but he won a C-ship. If you remember that game, McNamara was the main reason why they won. He had 6 3's in the first half. I'm not saying Melo isn't a player but that team was stacked with veteran players. Hakim Warrick was his counterpart, a 4yr player.
I think you will get some but I don't think any to that caliber of player. He runs a one on one offense. The only guy he's had show promise in it has been Derrick Rose and Mr. Camby. You can't name another person who "got off" in the league.
Lebron would have been at Duke so I doubt he would have been doing what he's doing now, there. He is a great player but he put in a ton of work the past 2years to get his jumper right and focusing on the Defensive end like Kobe.
1 and done kids will be at your school a lot, yes but I don't think 20% of them will be great in the league. It all depends on the system they end up going to. You will have a ton of kids wear the jersey so the odds are in your favor that you may get an All Star or something.
I guess time will tell but most All Star types go to schools where they can get a ton of shots. Being that UK now will have a lot of shoot first players we will see.
"They dont have to be developed, they dont have to be taught, they just have to be unleashed and thats what Coach Cal is good at". See Vince Carter and Antwann Jamison's careers at UNC along with Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse's careers there too. They had a ton of talent, ended up being All Stars and they ran a tight ship offense. They had to learn structure to get to the next level. Look at Paul Pierce, he thrived in Roy Williams offense but he got lucky and went to a team where they will run and gun in the beginning.
One on One equate to All Star level in the league. That's why he wasn't a good coach at that level. It just didn't work alot like Spurrier's offense in the NFL.
One on One ^doesn't equate to All Star level in the league. That's why he wasn't a good coach at that level. It just didn't work alot like Spurrier's offense in the NFL.
Sorry for the type-o.
We all know his strength is recruiting so I can see him getting players that potentially are suppose to be NBA talents but who knows if they will pan out. It's way more bust than there is Blockbusters.
To my knowledge he's only had 2 picks in the lottery and that's Camby and Rose.
"He runs a one on one offense. The only guy he's had show promise in it has been Derrick Rose and Mr. Camby. You can't name another person who "got off" in the league."
from everything i've read, Cal has been using this offense for only a few years (3-4 years tops), so it would be understandable if there are few players who have gotten of under this system
i must say, though, greedo's optimism puts a smile on my face. i mean, my optimism is in a penthouse suite right now, but greedo's optimism is on a hundred thousand trillion
- Hubbs I think most national analyst believe that Cal is heading towards his peak right now. Besides that point, Tyreke Evans is projected as a lottery pick this year and you also forgot Dejuan Wagner was the 6th pick in the 2002 draft. For perspective you can drop Camby from the list and hes put in three more Lottery picks that Rick Pitino has this decade, and we all agree Rick is great at developing talent.
- There is a lot of merit to discussing if its good for the program to recruit one and dones or not, but one thing Im sure of is that it takes as much talent as you can get to be at the top. Cal will get the talent, and I feel confident that as we lose it we will be able to replace it. One and done talent will get UK much further along than the NIT, where we were this year, so at the very least its going to be somewhat of an upgrade.
- Also with this years team we only have one presumed 1 and done, and thats Cousins. If we land X and Wall then we have three. If that were the scenario that would be a big loss, but lets not forget under that scenario we are adding CJ Henry, Jon Hood, and Daniel Orton will not be 1 and dones. So its not like we will start over every year, and the other good thing about this years squad is that if Meeks and Patterson returned we would have veteran leadership from our two key players.
- As you read that you probably realize how many things have to fall into place in order for us to even have to worry about things like how well we will compete with 1 and done players. Still if you can speculate on a blog where can you, right?
shane, assuming pat and meeks come back and we get wall and henry, you think there's a chance that any of the one and dones will walk on and pay their own way in order to avoid a scholarship crunch. after all, i still have yet to hear of anyone transferring
Chud, My optimism stems from what coach cal was able to do at memphis with the DDM. I also read that he had only been using the DDM for a few years, the few that he happened to dominate CUSA. Thats why the whole Pitino owns Calipari argument doesnt hold water IMO, he wasnt even running the same system or getting the same type of recruits.
The sky is the limit bro, gotta dream big.
Hubs, Well played about the whole Jordan thing, leaving him off was a travesty (SP?)
I think you are missing the picture with Calipari. The DDM burst onto the scene only a few years back and thats what created this recruiting success for him.
Rose and CDR are prolly the first 2 top guards that he had in the system and it seems to have worked for them. If you look at his classes in the past they have consistently gotten better up until now, where they have officially reached a ridiculous level.
Now, with this class, the recruits have realized that playing for Cal in the DDM is a fantastic way to showcase your talent and improve your skills to an NBA level.
Now add that to the fact that he is now at UK and UK has an ESPN contract next year.
The shit is about to get serious.
** this is just my opinion based on everything that I have found online **
** I also understand that this is prolly filled with some of the most kool aid laced comments in the history of kool aid, but Im a believer and am glad that I am not gonna get blasted for stating my opinion **
Chud, in all honesty my optimism has reached a sick level and I am aware of that.. I am also aware of the fact that we have a brand new coach running a brand new system so its not like Im expecting to win a title next year.. Or even the year after.. I am expecting to be better tho.
Before I sound too level headed let me say one more thing. I think the new system pretty much explains itself and on a comparison to a Tubby, Rick, or even BCG system I think this may be a 5 as far as difficulty to learn where as the others are all prolly 8 or so. I also think that the new coach will be loved by the UK players and I think it will show on the court..
Not only that, but I think the talent level is obviously about to go through the roof, and that talent is about to do us rightchea.
OK, fuck it, I realize the kool aid guys, I honestly do..
So from now on I think we should have 2 types of optimism;
1) the regular kind in which you think we will be better next year and will continue getting better, we'll just call that optimism.
2) The over the top kind, in which not only do you think its just a matter of time before we not only win a National Championship but eventually take over the world, we'll just call that Greedoism.
i'm getting closer to greedoism evrytime i read a report that both henry and wall are leaning to UK.
i agree about there being a period of learning for the new offense, but i think having a rad PG will drastically reduce the learning curve. also, in all honesty, if we get both wall and henry, AND meeks and pat return, there's no reason that we won't be on the short list of early favorites to win the NCAA. that said, even if we're one of the favorites, i don't think we'll be worthy of a pre-season top-5 ranking. it'll take time for us to hit our stride.
- This is in no way an attempt to rain on the optimisim parade going on right now, cause its a thing of beauty, but Im just passing on some sentiments I've picked up from House of Blue. I have a bit of an inkling that Henrys recruitment is turning the other way. Now I have nothing concrete, this is just a feeling I've gathered from reading reports from people who claim to be in the know.
- Again all Chris has heard from the Kansas people is positives for the UK camp, but given how closely guarded this recruitment is, I dont think its beyond the realm of possibility that they are just misreading the situation.
- My main thing is, just like if he wanted to go to Kansas he could have committed any point in his life, if it is down to UK and KU and he doesnt want to go to KU he could have already committed to UK. Like I said I dont think he has to visit campus to commit, but the longer he goes without committing, and doesnt take a visit makes me feel a little less certain about landing him. This is obviously a very tough situation for him.
- The other thing is that there are two posters on House of Blue who claim adamantly to be close to the situation, and they both say it is 80% KU right now because of his mom. They suggest he wants to play for UK, but the fact that him mom openly wants him at KU is weighing on him heavily.
- He also has stated that Jodie Meeks decision will factor into his, he didnt specify if he meant he wanted him to come back or not. Perhaps he meant he wants him to return so they can be contenders, or he could mean he doesnt want to share the spotlight with the a top shooting guard in the country.
- All Im saying is that my gut was telling me yesterday that we have this kid, but today Im starting to feel its way more up in the air. Chris still feels good about it and his sources are telling him good things, so thats much more important than my gut feeling, and that gives me comfort.
- Now the good news is this has nothing to do with how great our future could be in a year or two, so Chud and Greedos happiness can continue to rule the blog.
THe only problem with a rad PG is that there will be mistakes regardless. This is a new level for these players. You just don't dominate other great players.
Losing 3 players to the draft just plain sucks and will set your team back i.e. 2005 UNC squad. Hell look at them this year with the number 1 recruiting class as of now, they will be hurting next year. Not one and done players but anytime you have to regroup after losing players it just hurts no matter what you have coming in.
I hope they make kids stay 2yrs because it would be better and it would actually give a coach the chance to teach them up pretty good. I'm tired of the draft being laced with "potential kids" while proven kids are getting passed by.
He may say it's been instituted the last few years but look at those Wagner games all he did was go one on one. I will never knock his recruiting, he is proven at that level. His ego still kind of urks me but it still remains the perfect hire.
Just hope he gets some shooters to accompany those drivers which isn't really his M.O.
Rick doesn't put kids in the lottery because he convinces them to stay and they end up being better for it. Look at his products compared to Calipari's in the league. It's not even close.
- Hubbs what Rick Pitino coached player is doing better than Derrick Rose? He hasn't put a successful pro in the NBA since he was at UK, I mean Garcia plays but hes on the worst team in the NBA and I dont think he starts.
- I'll tell you who was good at getting young men in the NBA who would find a nice litte niche was Tubby Smith. I think for all his recruiting woes he has more successful pros playing right now than Pitino and Cal combined.
Tayshaun Prince is better but he is a hybrid between Rick and Tubby. I agree about Tubby though. He just teaches the game so well and his players seem to get it. Rose is a rookie that is showing promise but he has a long way to go to become an All Star. Too many guards in the East.
They haven't put a ton of people in the league but I recall Ricks players being better because they usually are 3yr players. All Call seems to say is if you can get the money then go, no matter if they need another year to be groomed or not.
You think Tubby helped Rondo? That's how I feel about Rose. He could have gone out of high school.
- Chris had a little more damning information that he couldnt print, and I cant put it here either, but there are two other obstacles that have risen. Still as odd as this recruitment has been it wouldnt surprise me if all this negative news doesnt end up helping us somehow. At least Matt Jones still seems upbeat about the recruitment.
- Chris will have some good news on his late night blog, so thats something to look forward to. Its something weve kind of expected, but its nice to hear someone with some real insight give some support to the thought process.
- I'm not calling Cali a miracle worker or anything Hubbs, but I do think the DDM got Derrick Rose the #1 pick in the draft last year. I dont remember him being talked about that high as a freshman, it really wasnt until his tourney run that his stock really took off I think. Everyone was swinging off Micheal Beasley last year.
- You're right though, he would have been a pro regardless, just like Rondo.
- Sorry guys, turns out my fagot ass gut feeling was true, Henry's to KU, Chris has from a good source, and MM the tool bag is reporting it too. I wonder how Memphis lost out so soon after gaining new life?
Just caught up on these comments, and the insanity needs to stop.
First off, Chud I respect your opinion more than just bout anyones, but no chance in hell any of these recruits comes to play without a scholarship...imagine John Wall committing, and Cali then having the gall to tell him that he would have to walk on...dude would be running the risk of getting stole...joking aside, no superstar kid would be humble enough to allow his ego to take that sort of symbolic hit
Second, I don't think Cali develops offensive talent as well as you guys say...in fact, I think that is one reason he gets superior talent (one and dones). He gets big name recruits because they know they will have the freedom to showcase their skills for the NBA in his system
Third, granted Rose may not have gone #1 without college, but he was a projected top 5 pick prior to playing college basketball...this dude was something serious...it's not like Cali took him from being some scrub to the #1 pick...in fact, it's debatable whether he even took him from a top 5 or lottery pick to a #1 pick...it may have a result of college period
Fourth, UK will be very very good within 2-4 years...but they will NOT win the SEC next year...
Fifth, you guys should really be excited about Cal's defense...that's where his teams earn their Ws...his teams are usually super strong physicially (even if some of them are in their mid-20's), extremely long, athletic, and tenacious on D...plus, his teams have usually rebounded pretty well
Sixth, before you guys get too excited though, someone should do some research regarding Cal's win-losses at Memphis and UMass when he played good out of conference teams...that would be an interesting statistic
Seventh, Tubby was just amazing at developing talent...people like Hayes, Daniels, Fitch would have been average under most coaches, but Tubby made them super...
Lastly, unless John Wall comes to UK, you guys will not have a one-and-done next year...Cousins will NOT be a one-and-done player, just a hunch
- Jason I can dig most of what you are saying, but I think you are wrong if you believe UK will definitely not win the SEC next year, there is a chance we could be the most talented ( all though young) team in the conference. Understand Im not saying we surely will, but I dont think it will take us 2-4 years to win the SEC.
- Cousins could be crap next year and still be a 1 and done, he has NBA All Star potential and thats all the league cares about. I wouldnt mind at all to be wrong though. By the way Scouts final rankings came out today and he finished 3rd overall in the class.
- I feel like I keep an even keel with these things, and I dont think I've hyped anything up too much about Cal outside his recruiting, which really speaks for itself. Thats all I'm sure about, outside of the fact we will be better, and no way we ever lose 3 IN A ROW TO FREAKING MISS ST AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!
Sone, i was just suggesting that as a possible solution to our lack of available scholarships, but the thought of a superstar recruit stealing Cal really made me laugh. Ans so did this: "his teams are usually super strong physicially (even if some of them are in their mid-20's)"
Yea Rav got what I was saying...at least about Rose anyway. That dude didn't develop much in that offense because he decided to take over whenever he wanted. He was that fast, that strong and that explosive at going to the rim. I guess this is what people are hoping Wall is no matter where he goes. He won't be as strong that's for sure. Rose was a man.
Their D is usually sick for the main reasons Rav said but accompany that with Conference USA teams that can skew stats a little bit. It doesn't mean they don't play D but like last this years team when they played the big boys they gave up a ton of points.
He will be consistantly playing decent to good teams now so we will really see what he's made out of so to speak. This isn't the best conference but it's probably the best one he's been in in a while.
"I was told recently by a guy who covers recruiting full time, “Kentucky will by next year get whoever they want, whenever they want.” Read that again and digest. The time is coming and it will be glorious."
- Wall is still in the mix Chud, keep the faith friend. We have a good shot, but as the Henrys reminded us anything can happen no matter what you are hearing.
-Chris told me we are about to go after Dodson real hard.
- Greedo for the life of me I have no idea why Dennis is getting no love, Cal wanted him at Memphis, UCONN wants him, but last time Chris spoke with him UK hadnt even called!? Weird stuff.
- As for Dodson just texted Chris that he had been released from his LOI by Memphis, and he is going to give Chris an interview tonight after 9, when his cell phone is free. Should be up on INK around 10 or so I would guess. Also Chris's boy Brooks who is connected all throughout Memphis basketball, told Chris that he thinks Dodson goes to UK.
- J Tyler going pro is such a hit for UL, that kid is sick. I feel bad for their fans, cause if I had a recruit nice and tucked away that I was excited for and then he went pro after his JUNIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, I would be crushed.
- Chris broke down for me what he had to do in order to get this story from Dodson, its pretty crazy how persistent he has to be with these recruits. For the most part they dont want to deal with journalist, it actually took some slick manuevering on his part, but I should refrain from giving out his trade secrets, funny as it may be.
- What Im getting at is that no one else has this story right now, even Brett Dawson was trying to leach some info off Chris, and Im going to be offended on Chris's behalf if he doesnt get the credit on this one. Kentuckysportsradio is where many get their info, because it is convenient when they pull their info with other sites, but they have only cited Chris once. Matt Jones recognized Chris when he broke Kevin Galloways commitment last year, but thats it. I know Chris has broken some of the stories in the last month faster than others, but KSR has given the credit to more established journalist who reported it later. All Im saying is that the dude is my best friend, and I love him like family, and he's working so hard right now, I just hope he gets his due on this one tomorrow. This rant really pertains to nothing important so sorry.
- What is important is that we got a player that Cal really wanted, this isnt some last minute Juco sub, this guy was gonna be at Memphis. I like the sound of his game, but remain only cautiously optimistic about any Juco. Though it should be noted he is a 4* on Rivals right now, and ESPN gave him a grade of 95 out of 100.
- All right, alls well. I just read on House of Blue where they were busting the staffs balls because of Chris breaking all this news before them consistently. Hehe, that makes me feel better.
I'll take him Shane for the reason that he is a slasher and slashers do well in our baseline offense. If he doesn't check that attitude at the door then he won't play for Gary. Gary doesn't play that ish.
I'm usually not for the one and dones but it would be addressing a need. I'm still a little skeptical though because dude is use to getting his. Last I heard though is that it was a toss up between Kansas and St. Johns. I think with Henry supposedly going to Kansas, could have opened the door up for us.
Maybe its just my opinion, but if I were a TOP recruit, there is no way in hell I'd be going to a second rate school.
There isnt a school in the country that wouldnt want Stephenson and with that kind of hype you would think someone would find room.
I get that he's a NY kid and St Johns is close to home, but that hasnt really helped keep talent there in the past.
Hubs, I hope the terps land this kid. They already have some height coming in, I just hope it is ready to contribute. With the addition of Stephenson, they could be looking to be a long shot to win the ACC next year..
Dont get me wrong, I'm not drinking the kool aid, I just think with him playing next to Vasquez you have one of the sickest 1-2 punches of scorers in the conference.
They just really really really need that height to be worth something. You just cant do well in a big conference starting a 6'7" overweight white dude. No matter how much he hustles, he will never get it done.
Haha Chud. He has been on the Rucker too much man. I know he knows all the rappers in NY. MD ain't nothing but a 4-6hr drive to NY.
Your so right Greedo. The only problem is Gary will limit him to an extent because we have talent at the 2-3. We really need another PG because I don't think Bowie is really one although he does handle the ball well at 6'5". Getting MoMo Jones would have been nice but it looks like USC has him locked in.
Gary is in need of a sweet class being that he was on the hot seat before pulling maybe his best coaching job ever. I will always take that over recruiting for some reason. I just think when you can mix coaching ability and recruiting i.e Roy Williams/Tom Izzo, it pays wonders. He use to get the diamonds in the rough all the time and turn them in to legitimate players. He hasn't done that in a few years other than Vasquez.
Hubs, I respect what they do, I think Coach Cal's method will provide more consistent results, ie 3 straight 30 win seasons..
But that was in C USA, hopefully it will be true in the SEC as well..
Gary has just had some bad beats.. He doenst recruit the area very well, which is a focal point for fans, especially when the Terps are strugglin.. If he could consistently bring in 3 or 4 3-4 star recruits he would be fine.. But he hasnt quite done that.
And not just that Greedo, doing those dudes bad. When U of L was recruiting him(Sopho yr) he was 6'1" now he's 6'6".
Bad beats indeed. Players leaving for God knows what reason, decomits and other such things. It's just the nature of the game I suppose. I think he had a lot riding on the other guys that left because they were 4yr players and we didn't seem to get the back ups we wanted. I see now though he is out recruiting for the next 2yrs which is always good to see. He has all the top guys from MD at least listening right now.
Cal is more of the Go Big or Go Home type recruit which can produce 30 win seasons but if he fails to get to at least a Sweet 16 then his season is looked at as a failure due to "team talent". I think he will do big things, just sucks that I took my stand with U of L being that the Yankee type move rubbed me the wrong way. I still will root for them to an extent.
Honestly I hope he gets it turned around quick just so I can watch a ton of great games. I may be asking a lot because the SEC is still down for the most part. It's not unimaginable for them to win the SEC if they gel early.
- Chris has a nice story up on Ink right now about Bledsoe, its insane to think we could have two 5* pgs commit. Just the fact that it is a possibility is reason to take pause and shake your head. Not in the article is that Chris was told by a source that its 50/50 right now between UK and another school. Sadly the same source says its iffy on him qualifying, and even more sad is that apparently this kid has had a really tough life.
- Chris just told me that hes hearing we could have a big commitment soon, and Im not talking about John Wall boys. The first stud of our inevitable 2010 blockbuster class could be coming into the fold. Hes trying to get an interview with the kid so he can put up a story, so until that happens I cant say his name, just keep your eyes peeled on Ink.
shane, consider my banana peeled as well. no homo. yeah, from all i've read, as good as the 2009 class will be or could've been, 2010 might be one for the ages, or at least the best recruiting class until our 2011 class:)
113 comments:
that was a quote from wall, not cousins. just so you know.
henry was just outside the frame of this picture, but he was agreeing with everything wall was saying.
they later went to the tattoo parlor and got UK 2009-2010 4-life tatted on there inner-biceps.
RE-POST...
in my opinion, there are two primary primary paths of interpretation to the rule, both of which lead me to believe that Wall will not likely be eligible for this year's draft
1) in order to be eligible for the draft, (1) nba season must elapse since the time of his HS graduation.
since he hasn't graduated, and thus 1 year has not passed since such graduation, the above interpretation would mean that Wall is ineligible for this year's draft.
2) in the case of a player who has not graduated from HS, in order to be eligible for the draft, at least (1) nba season must elapse from the point in time that such player WOULD HAVE GRADUATED from HS.
i think there are at least two ways of looking at this. but you must initially address which class Wall "should have" graduated with. remember, he's a fifth year senior, so should he have graduated in 2008 or 2009.
-if you take the first approach (i.e., 2008), the only way that Wall could be eligible for this year's draft is by NOT GRADUATING (i.e., dropping out) this year, so as to effectuate the "should have graduated" language and use 2008 as the period to being the tolling of the 1 year period. clearly, encouraging a player to make such a decision/allowing this loophole is contrary to public policy, and i would be surprised to see a committee reading the rule in this manner.
-if you take the second approach and say that Wall "should have graduated" in 2009, then you are again left with a scenario in which the 1 year period has not tolled, thus making Wall ineligible for this year's draft.
despite this, i believe that i read that the Committee will make its evaluation on a "case by case" basis, meaning that it can use its own discretion to decide Wall's eligibility. however, given the above straightforward interpretation alternatives above, a Committee that rules to the contrary would be going against the spirit* of the rule (i.e., allowing the a year off after HS/making SOME college quasi-mandatory)
*NCAA profit motives aside, conspiracy theorists
i hope the committee sees as true as you stotha.
- Thanks for the rundown Chud, pretty informative stuff. I wont hate on the kid, if he finds a loophole I hope he can exploit it, if not I hope he comes to UK.
- Jeff Drummond at the Catspause had some interesting stuff tonight, he claims that UK is trying to sell Xavier Henry to UK by offering a spot at the point for his bro at PG. Now CJ Henry will not be taking up a scholarship because the Yankees have to pay his tuition, but Drummond thinks this might wrap up the class. He first said we would back off Wall, then he back tracked when people were outraged at the notion.
- I do know this, right now you have to take X Henry, even if you have to give a non scholarship spot to his bro. John Wall is not saying the most comforting things right now, so you have to take what you can get at the moment and work the rest out later. Do the deed to get Henry, and then work it out for John Wall if you have to.
- UK is one over the scholly limit at the moment, as long as D. Orton stays committed. We can speculate, but no one knows what returning players may have to leave, if any. Coach Cal has been all class so far at UK and I cant see him making someone leave who doesnt want to.
- Someone might end up out in the cold, assume we can get Henry, Wall, and Dennis. We are one over so say D. Williams gives up his schooly for Orton, then you have to cut three additional players to take those three. Im sure we would all guess Harrelson and Stewart would be willing to go because they have two years of eligibility left. So if they do want to leave, that means its likely Pilgrim or Liggins would have to leave, if they are eligible to play at all next season. Perry and Ramon are not going to be asked to leave, of course if Meeks and/or Patterson were to turn pro that would free up another ride.
- The point is that there is so much in the air right now, not only are we trying to get a lot of players, we have to get rid of a lot of players in order to do so. Its going to be tough.
- I have great news, Chris has been invited to UKs practice tomorrow, and will interviewing a couple of players of his choice. He should have some exciting stuff for us to read tomorrow night.
i shall look forward to hearing chris's observations!
yeah, shane, everytime i get excited about the recruits that we may get, i realize that we'll have take scholarships away from existing players, which is kind of a downer
- Chris talked to his Kansas guy again, dude told him that from talking to Xavier and reading his body language he got the feeling he wanted to go to UK. However he said he thinks his parents want him to attend KU, so it could go either way. I think hes gonna touch on it tomorrow, there should be some good stuff tomorrow at Kentucky Ink later on in the evening.
Chud, that was a sweet breakdown.. It was long as shit, but I read every bit of it..
Shane, thats great news about Henry.. I hope we get him, and it seems as if we are more likely to land him than Wall, in all honesty tho, if we get either they are going to have such a major impact its not even going to be funny..
greedo
have you all been reading about how cal only thinks we can win 15-16 games next season?
it seems odd to me because of the guys we could have returning, and the guys we have a good shot at getting. now i know a lots still up in the air, but as of right now i just don't get that statement.
maybe he's just trying to lower the shit out of our expectations so that he can "win" here even if he loses. i don't know, just my take on it.
shane, as for your comment, i told you henry was just outside of that photo. hehe
i'd be extremely happy with either player, but i think the addition of wall could give us some serious potential.
i keep hearing that any one of cousins/henry/wall are the biggest recruit we've had since bogans, and all are potential one and dones. i believe bogans was expected to be with us for only two years, but we got him for 4. hopefully, one or all of these new guys will stay with us for awhile. but if not, the world seems pretty confident that Cal can bring in another group of studs the following year.
if Cal's system ends up working on a bigger stage, it'll be interesting to see whether other college coaches try to adopt similar offensive schemes. afterall, i read that Cal sarted using his current offense after only one meeting with the offense's mastermind -- some juco or HS coach out west.
so we open the football season playing miami in cincy at the bengals home stadium, eh?
anybody interested in going to this? it be a fun little day trip
man, miami used to DOMINATE! what in the hell happened? did larry coker really just run that program in to the ground or what? that's a real question, noting rhetorical about it, i really want to know what the hell happened
otha, you know we're playing Miami of Ohio, right?
ah ha! so we are, stotha, so we are.
well, i'd still like to know why The U sucks so bad now.
i really can't wait to hear fish's report on today's practice
i didn't wanna post this on d-ville for the simple reason that i knew no one else would care.
greedo, i think poo poo head has become a freakin dark horse in AI this year. i mean i still hate everything about him, mainly just because he had some disgusting swagger a couple weeks back. but, the dudes brought it the last 2 weeks.
and our boy PIPES brings it SO hard every week. is there any doubt that he's gonna win it all? i mean really? he is just SO far and above everyone else it's hilarious.
- Nolan Dennis has allegedly dropped UK from his list because the University has put him on the back burner, Im not sure how true this is, but Coach Cal must feel good about Henry if we are not at least trying to keep a leash on Dennis.
- Rivals updated rankings came out today, Bledsoe became a 5* and Daniel Orton maintained his 5* ranking despite missing the entire season.
Cal is on PTI now
-his kinda danced around the question of whether he is going or will go after wall/henry/dennis/jucos, and he basically said that he hasn't spoken with any of them. at least that's how i heard it. this is certainly contrary to reports that he met with wall and henry in a hotel lobby. in my opinion, he could have just stopped after he said that he hoped the kids who signed with memphis would stick with their commitment. it would be disingenuous, sure, but a lot farther away from a boldfaced lie.
bro, i heard as if he was saying he wanted ppl currently at memphis to stay put. i think it's obvious to everyone that he's going for henry and wall.
so patterson entered his name in the draft. i still think that there's a 70% chance that he comes back. i honestly think he loves UK, and wants to be a part of this program when it returns to greatness. and, with other talented big men around him next year he'll be able to flourish b/c teams won't be able to double him.
lets start a conversation on who we thinks gonna get the boot. i think its the following
harrelson
stewart
williams
possibly pilgrim
possibly liggins if we get wall
- Early indications are that Cal has been pleased with Pilgrim. I think no way Williams is on scholarship if he returns, Stewart and Harrellson cant possibly hope to see the court next year, and I agree Liggo is on the chopping block despite my deep affection for the dude.
Here's an interesting article on Liggins and his thoughts on his new coach and system.
my guesses on...
who will leave:
-harrelson
-williams
as for liggins and pilgim, i guess it depends on their academic situations
- Dude it makes me so happy to hear Liggo is gonna be back next year, and that JC is gonna give him a real shot. I got so frustrated this year with people hating on Liggins, cause I could tell the kid had talent, he was just scared to death to do anything. The poor guy got yanked for anything, ranging from having a turnover to hitting a shot, it didnt matter. Hopefully academics wont be an issue, cause I think he will end up being a great 4 year player for us if he gets the chance.
agreed. if this system is what it claims to be, i think it will eventually be a very nice fit for Liggins. If only Cal was here when Barbour was playing...
- Chris's practice blog is up, I dont know if its premium or not, let me know if it is, I'll text you my log in name and password.
very good stuff. it was very encouraging to read that so many of the players are taking well to the system and coaching style.
question: if stevenson were to redshirt, would this free up a scholarship?
Im not sure we want Liggins as our starting PG next year, but I agree that dude had flashes of greatness and I really wish he would have gotten a shot.. He is easily better than Porter and I still dont know how fagtag went a whole year without playing him..
That sucks about Dennis.. There is no doubt that I would rather pursue Henry and his Bro, and there is also no doubt that I want to keep Jon Hood.. It seems like him being a second option was the logical choice for us and I think its pretty cool to actually be able to understand what your coach is doing..
Does anyone disagree that we have to take the local talent over outsiders just to keep the Big Blue Nation happy??
I love the thought of local talent.. The fact that Rondo and Miller went to HS in KY and played for UK gives me a sense of pride.. I dont know, maybe its just me..
greedo
oh barbour. you had the one reverse dunk against then #1 florida, and then you disappeared
- Local talent doesnt do that much for me, I think I got burned from Blevins, Josh Carrier, and Brandon Stockton. I want the best, wherever they are from is cool for me. I can understand why it means a lot to some people, but for me it does nothing.
yall don't think perry will get the boot, do ya?
i mean maybe he'll stay on the team, but just no free ride. i dunno
i'm all for local talent, and i stress "talent." i don't think we should just be giving scholarships to local guys who are just decent just to appease the fanbase, and i think that's exactly what we did with blevins, tackett, stockton, and chiles. i think we should focus on getting the best players possible, and when our state produces top talent, we get them to stay here. unlike the football program, our b-ball team doesn't really depend so much on retaining local talent
that said, it's nice to see that UK Football has been able to increase it recruiting net over the last few year
I think you guys are taking my comment the completely wrong way.. Im not talking about Carrier or Stockton..
Im talking about not losing kids like Rondo and Hood to out of state sachools..
The fact that Hood is top 50 nationally and comin to UK is awesome to me... If he were to go to say TN like Lofton and burn our asses time after time it would seriously make me sick..
greedo
point taken greedo, when you wrote that we should take local talent over outsiders, i thought you were saying that the "local" attribute of a player might outweigh certain attributes of an outside player. i totally agree that Cal shouldn't neglect keeping top-shelf talent in state
i don't know about you guys, but im extremely pumped to have tony delk come back to the program. he was my favorite player growing up, and i can't wait to look at that little body and gigantic arm combo once again.
- Well guys this morning Chris called me and told me a whole lot of crazy stuff out BCG and what lead to his exit. Its time for Chapter 2 of Billy the Terrible.
- Last night Chris had dinner with a physical therapist who is best friends with Derrick Jasper. He visited Jasper from California 3 years ago and liked it so much he transferred to UK. Jodie Meeks and D. Jasper were room mates until Jasper transferred and during that time Jasper's boy from Cali became like best friends with Jodie Meeks, and remains so. So that is where this information is coming from, this is what Jodie Meeks claims was going on behind the scenes.
- Apparently BCG and Jodie Meeks clashed with each other from day one, last year BCG would call Jodie a pussy for not playing. Ortestes Meeks called BCG last seaosn and told him that if he didnt stop calling Meeks a pussy he was pulling him off the team. In fact it appears Jodie was one of the players considering a transfer at the end of last season we heard so much about.
- Matt Jones already reported on the Witness shirts, so I wont repeat it, but that guy told Chris the same thing last night.
- When Leon Smith was cleaning out BCGs desk he found an invitation for Meeks to be a counselor at Paul Pierces Basketball Camp this summer. The paperwork was just sitting there and he hadnt even notified Jodie and it was time sensitive. In fact they had to expedite it just to get it there on time. Can you imagine being such a dick to a young kid who had aspirations of playing in the NBA and would have a chance to get his name out there and rub shoulders with NBA players?
- We all know about the meltdown in the lockeroom after the Notre Dame game, but he offered Chris some details. BCG never liked the attention Jodie got this season, hell he told him to stop shooting during the Tennessee game and he shot over 50% in route to scoring 54 points, he refused to let them wear his shirts, and verabally assaulted Jeneane Edwards on national TV for praising him too much. Well during halftime of the game he demanded that Jodie Meeks say that he was selfish, and Jodie refused. BCG then told him to take off his jersey and that he wasnt playing in the second half, and Jodie still refused to say it and remove his jersey BCG cleared everyone out of the room and TRIED TO HOLD THE DOOR SHUT WITH TWO HANDS TO KEEP JODIE IN THE LOCKER ROOM.
- The guy said that the team was so close with each other because they went through a hellish experience together, and sometimes all they had was each other to make it through it. There were times when BCG would go too far and the team would have to refuse to do something in order for him to let a player back in the fold, or on a bus or what not.
* Over the Top Alert*
- This might just be too much, I know it was for me, the point of the story were BCG is just laughing evilly and twirling his mustache. Still this was part of what the guy told Chris. He said that BCGs mother came to visit him for a week this year and he ignored her. She brought him Jelly Beans because they were his favorite candy when he was a kid, and he told Coach Cox to " throw away the damn jelly beans and keep her away from him."
- I just cant believe what an unbelievable bastard we had at the helm of our program for two years, Im honestly embarrassed.
- I dont know if you all have seen it, but the Henry's father told Chris that Coach Cal is visiting them in New York this weekend.
- EEEEEEEEE.... SOMEONES BOUT TO APPLY SOME PRESSURE FOR A COMMITMENT!!!!!!
Once again, shane thanks so much for the input.. It reaffirms everything that I thought about that doouche..
Im embarassed as well, and I feel sorry for the kids.. Honestly, this is supposed to be the best time of their lives.. These kids dreamed about playing college ball at a place like UK for their whole lives I'm sure..
As ffor the tip about Henry, I just want to again say that it is fucking awesome to be able to understand what your coach is doing.. Henry looks like the more gettable target right now.. Wall is just all over the place.. And like I said adding either one of them will just be so huge for us..
greedo
so greedo, you thought he was a dick like that?
i mean a knew he was a tough guy, but shit! shane, that was some intense shit.
if that's true no wonder he went for 54 in that game. it wasn't the trash talk that the UT guys were saying, it was the fact that he hated his coach so much. holy gees, that was some wild info on billy the terrible.
i'll admit if i had any suspicion of this while the season was going on i would've never pleaded my case of him remaining our coach. all i was arguing was the fact that we needed stabilty in the program, and the fact that i didn't think we had a chance of getting anyone better in as coach. but, not only did we get a better coach, but that guy was a stabilized dick head! again my apology's, i wish i would've known this stuff sooner.
in other news, i'm about to begin skeeting in my pants non stop! not only is THUNDER on saturday, but we're about to have the sickest recruiting class in the nation!
think about having a lineup so strong, that dudes have to sit on the bench for the simple fact that we can't start 7-8 guys! i mean we're just gonna have freakish talent sitting on the bench! and not because their in the dog house or anything, but because there's even sicker talent currently on the floor!
AHHHHHH!!!!!!! I LOVE KENTUCKY BASKETBALL!!!!!! HERE ME ROAR!!!!!!!
Nice rundown on the NBA rule Churd...
Shane, I highly respect your opinion regarding UK sports but couldn't disagree more when you said "Coach Cal has been all class so far at UK and I cant see him making someone leave who doesnt want to."
Seriously?
I mean, I am not one of those guys that thinks he is a slimeball or anything...in fact, I think people that say that are mostly jealous of his success and his confidence...but what he has done regarding recruiting for UK in the last couple of weeks is really crummy (and a lot less than classy) if you ask me...
Greedo, how bout we go double or nothing on that $40...you know that UK comes to STATE next year
Perhaps I should elaborate:
When Cal left Memphis, he publicly stated that he hoped all the kids that committed/signed to Memphis would stay with Memphis...and then he turned right around and start recruiting them (Henry, Cousins)...that's classless
Honestly, I don't have a problem with him pursuing those players per se...I have a major problem with him saying that they should honor their commitments to Memphis, and then turn right around and recruit them...if he wanted them to follow, to don't say any BS like you want them to stay with Memphis
FWIW, when Roy Williams left Kansas for UNC, he publicly stated that all the kids that committed to him should stay with Kansas (much like Cal said about Memphis)...and much like Cal's situation, the players didn't listen and they wanted to follow Roy Williams to UNC (including David Padgett)...Roy refused to recruit them or offer them scholarships and owned up to his word...
Like I said, I really don't think I have a problem with him taking those kids if he didn't say anything...but when you say that you hope the kids stay with Memphis, then turn around and actively recruit them to your new school...I think it speaks volumes about your character
But then again, this is college recruiting...it's an ugly ugly game
All that aside, UK is doin' big thangs out there right now...
But I really feel the UK's #1 priority SHOULD be getting Meeks and PPatt to come back...but I know it is alot sexier and more fun to focus on new recruits
AHHHHHHHH!
NEW RECRUITS!!!!!!
- Sone Im referring to all the things that he has said thus far at UK, he really has been all class bro. Hes just said all the right things and right now he is a media darling at UK much like Rick was once.
- As for the recruits, this is just my opinion, and anyone can dispute it and I wont say anything but I think if they are released from their LOI they're fair game. I mean they wanted to play for the man, they were the ones who were considering UK and Cal before he even began a back and forth. I can see the other side of the argument, what Roy did was really the tops, but Cal has behaved with the decommitted recruits exactly the way I would, so I for one cant be critical.
- Including the recruits that were all ready coming, if he told them he thought they wouldnt be good fits and wouldnt honor their commitments then its a little more gray. However the fan in me wins out and says that if they arent good enough to play, then its a waste for them and a waste for the University.
- What I was originally intending to reference however was just how impressed at how well he has handled the public so far. On the heels of BCG its a really fresh breath of air.
- As for Jodie and Pat theres not too much to discuss until they've worked out a little, but you are right, they are proven goods on the court and are what is most important.
i just saw that meeks doesn't even have any workouts scheduled. what does this mean? is this good?
Sone,
First off, you're on with this bet sucka!!
Second, I know I am obviously biased, but dude is a recruiter man. That's what he does. These are his guys man. As a coach and especially a coach that is known as a recruiter I feel like you have certain guys that are your targets for each year. Especially coach cal with his unique style of play. He recruits guys that fit his system and dude is good as shit at it. If these are his established targets for the year, the ones he has focused on and already put in work on, then I can totally see taking them. If they were already released and shit, theyre gonna go somewhere man. Might as well put all your hard work to use!!
Greedo
fish had become my new matt jones. i hope you pass that along shane. everything he brings to the table is awesome!!
agreed! shane, the info that you bring to this blog is TOP NOTCH!!! i remember once upon a time when the only thing i ever learned about UK in the off season was from a few measly sentences in CJ's college basketball notebook
the magic of the internet bro. now when we read stuff in the paper we've already known it for at least 20 hours. i'm sorry to say, but the physical paper business is a dying business.
i'm surprised no ones made a comment about how good that rap video is. i mean the dude sounds exactly like rick ross, and he mentions every bit of UK tradition. i wasn't kidding, i think it's really good.
i'm still not used to the idea that we may just sign the top 3 players in the class (per Rivals' old rankings)
WOW!!!
IT FEELS SO GOOD TO BE BAAACK!
Cal is indeed making moves with Thugs. I don't know why he would set the bar so low though. At least he may be being realistic. Not everybody will get that system right away so they may have to have a U of L type season which I don't think you guys would mind.
What I mean by that is that the team will hopefully be hitting their stride come March. Rick has his teams ready come March and we all know it.
The NBA will be there for Wall regardless so no matter where he goes he better 1. Learn how to play Defense, 2. Get damn jumper. I know it's an All Star game but his lack of trying on D was hilarious and offputting. Yes he's explosive and can pass but he may have to tone down the flash a lil bit too. Dude is J-Will without the jumper.
well shane, matt jones just reported from one of his sources what you got from fish over a week ago about the wall situation. the more the merrier is all i can say. things are about to get NUTS in the commonwealth!!
shane, or anyone, why did xavier decide not to visit us? i view this as a bad sign, considering he's said he knows nothing about our history/program...but then again maybe he just doesn't want to waste a visit and already knows he's coming here.
- Him not visiting doesnt really mean anything, I know that sounds stupid but it really doesnt. As off putting as this statement is, its simply the truth right now, the only reason he would come to UK is for Cal. He was probably 7 or 8 years old the last time UK made a Final Four, so of course he doesnt know anything about our program, sure we havent been off the map that whole time, but for a kid from the midwest we have. No Final Fours or Championships means kids in that part of America probably dont know jack about us.
- Chris spoke with Carl Henry today and was told that they would have a decision by Wed, however in the last half hour Henry has said that information has changed and his kids will be making a visit. So at least you have your visit.
- Carl Henry did tell Chrus that his sons went to Memphis for Cal, for his style of play, and that the only thing that has changed is Cal is at a bigger name school. So that sounds promising.
- The bottom line, is that X has had his whole life to commit to KU and he hasnt, and I think based on what Chris has been hearing from his KU people that he is close to committing to UK. I think he would easily commit to UK without visiting if he bases his college decision on wanting to play for Cal. Chris got the impression from Carl Henry during a previous conversation that he new his sons were going to commit to UK, he just wanted them to visit before they did so. Hopefully this is the scenario that is playing out, but whether or not they are leaning to UK, nothing is close to final until an announcement is made because family is involved, and they want him at KU. Its getting close one way or another.
- Hubbs you are right about it prolly going to take UK a while to hit its stride next year, no matter what the roster looks like in the end, because they are implementing a radically new system. If we do end up with a bunch of young players then it will be a little more of an adjustment however it is one I will gladly sit through, you know?
- As for Wall, no one plays defense in those games, I can imagine someone with his freakish athleticisim not being able to play D, but even if hes not a great defender I hope we get him. He'll get a jumper someday, maybe not during his stop over in college, but hes so fast he probably wont need one to be a dominant player in college. I just hope we get him Hubbs.
well, now i'm hearing that he is visiting. what gives?
good info as always shane. the fact that in a weeks time we could have histories greatest recruiting class blows my mind.
indeed!
here's a thought: we don't need scholarships to be available in order to get wall and henry
from all i've read, these guys are pretty much locks to go to the league. why can't they just take out a student loan like me to pay for school? there's no limit to how many players can be on a team, as evidenced by the fact that we had like 30 ninjas on our beanch this past year, so why not just have the guys walk-on and take out loans?
this is truly my own thought. i haven't read anything of this sort anywhere else.
~scholarship dilemma my ass. shooo...
"cal-i-par-rehhh, cal-i-par-reh"
I feel you Shane. I hope the rest of the nation understand that. You can't just put a All Star team out there and expect them to beat teams that played together 1 or 2yrs. Every player coming in is use to having the ball during crunch time, and being the man on their team. They will have to learn to defer to others in order to be the team everybody is wanting them to be.
Hey Hubs, (HM, youre gonna love this)
Look at Team USA!! They put out an all star team and beat all the flippin world's best teams that play together all the time..
UK will be like Team USA..
Only difference is we wont be lead by a doucher like coach K.. And we wont get to watch Kobe and Lebron on the same team..
But there is a huge possibility that we could be watching the next Kobe or Lebron at any given time with Coach Cal at the wheel..
And thats amazing to me..
BTW, sorry about my absence from the blog as of late dudes.. Tax season ended, and I hoola'ed like I have been needing to hoola..
greedo
With 3yrs of preperation Greedo. They tried to put a nice time together before and we didn't even win our division and got a bronze. Those European teams play years together and even if they aren't the most talented, they collectively beat teams.
IMO there will never be a Kobe or Lebron just like we will never see a Bill Russell, Wilt or Shaq ever again. Those are one of kinds. There ain't a kid in the world right now with the instinct of Kobe and shear athleticism of Lebron. It wouldn't be fair to even compare them.
If your lucky, and I do mean lucky, he can get the Joe Johnson types. That guy is sick but he's super humble and quiet.
I get what your saying though but he won't be the one to mold them in to the player your thinking. That will be the player and at the next level. You don't get that good in 1yr of college ball IMO.
Hubs you are wrong in SOOOOO many ways..
1) You not putting Jordan on that list is a disgrace.. We all know Jordan had more of an impact on the league than anyone else in the history of the NBA.
2) The fact of the matter is that there may not be another Kobe or Lebron, but everyone is different and leaves a different legacy.
That being said, the kids coming up these days now have to go to school and with us pulling in top recruits year in and year out we are bound to have a Kobe or Lebron type all star come through UK.
Fuck, for all we know, we could have one this year.
3) You dont get that good in one year of college bball?? Thats just an absurd comment to make and I think you know better. Just look at Lebron's rookie year, imagine if he would have went to college.
Fuck imagining, Carmello Anthony.
They dont have to be developed, they dont have to be taught, they just have to be unleashed and thats what Coach Cal is good at.
I am in no way saying that every future NBA All Star will come through UK, or even that he will bring in a future All Star every year or every other year. All I am saying is that we are bound to get some, and that excites the fuck outta me.
greedo
Maybe Jordan didnt have the most impact ever to everyone, to me he did, but I can see how some would put Wilt 1st and MJ 2nd..
greedo
Well I thought Jordan is self explanitory. Honestly I was going to put him on the list but you got what I was saying.
Melo thrived mainly in the tourney just like D-Wade did but he won a C-ship. If you remember that game, McNamara was the main reason why they won. He had 6 3's in the first half. I'm not saying Melo isn't a player but that team was stacked with veteran players. Hakim Warrick was his counterpart, a 4yr player.
I think you will get some but I don't think any to that caliber of player. He runs a one on one offense. The only guy he's had show promise in it has been Derrick Rose and Mr. Camby. You can't name another person who "got off" in the league.
Lebron would have been at Duke so I doubt he would have been doing what he's doing now, there. He is a great player but he put in a ton of work the past 2years to get his jumper right and focusing on the Defensive end like Kobe.
1 and done kids will be at your school a lot, yes but I don't think 20% of them will be great in the league. It all depends on the system they end up going to. You will have a ton of kids wear the jersey so the odds are in your favor that you may get an All Star or something.
I guess time will tell but most All Star types go to schools where they can get a ton of shots. Being that UK now will have a lot of shoot first players we will see.
"They dont have to be developed, they dont have to be taught, they just have to be unleashed and thats what Coach Cal is good at".
See Vince Carter and Antwann Jamison's careers at UNC along with Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse's careers there too. They had a ton of talent, ended up being All Stars and they ran a tight ship offense. They had to learn structure to get to the next level. Look at Paul Pierce, he thrived in Roy Williams offense but he got lucky and went to a team where they will run and gun in the beginning.
One on One equate to All Star level in the league. That's why he wasn't a good coach at that level. It just didn't work alot like Spurrier's offense in the NFL.
One on One ^doesn't equate to All Star level in the league. That's why he wasn't a good coach at that level. It just didn't work alot like Spurrier's offense in the NFL.
Sorry for the type-o.
We all know his strength is recruiting so I can see him getting players that potentially are suppose to be NBA talents but who knows if they will pan out. It's way more bust than there is Blockbusters.
To my knowledge he's only had 2 picks in the lottery and that's Camby and Rose.
"He runs a one on one offense. The only guy he's had show promise in it has been Derrick Rose and Mr. Camby. You can't name another person who "got off" in the league."
from everything i've read, Cal has been using this offense for only a few years (3-4 years tops), so it would be understandable if there are few players who have gotten of under this system
i must say, though, greedo's optimism puts a smile on my face. i mean, my optimism is in a penthouse suite right now, but greedo's optimism is on a hundred thousand trillion
- Hubbs I think most national analyst believe that Cal is heading towards his peak right now. Besides that point, Tyreke Evans is projected as a lottery pick this year and you also forgot Dejuan Wagner was the 6th pick in the 2002 draft. For perspective you can drop Camby from the list and hes put in three more Lottery picks that Rick Pitino has this decade, and we all agree Rick is great at developing talent.
- There is a lot of merit to discussing if its good for the program to recruit one and dones or not, but one thing Im sure of is that it takes as much talent as you can get to be at the top. Cal will get the talent, and I feel confident that as we lose it we will be able to replace it. One and done talent will get UK much further along than the NIT, where we were this year, so at the very least its going to be somewhat of an upgrade.
- Also with this years team we only have one presumed 1 and done, and thats Cousins. If we land X and Wall then we have three. If that were the scenario that would be a big loss, but lets not forget under that scenario we are adding CJ Henry, Jon Hood, and Daniel Orton will not be 1 and dones. So its not like we will start over every year, and the other good thing about this years squad is that if Meeks and Patterson returned we would have veteran leadership from our two key players.
- As you read that you probably realize how many things have to fall into place in order for us to even have to worry about things like how well we will compete with 1 and done players. Still if you can speculate on a blog where can you, right?
shane, assuming pat and meeks come back and we get wall and henry, you think there's a chance that any of the one and dones will walk on and pay their own way in order to avoid a scholarship crunch. after all, i still have yet to hear of anyone transferring
Chud,
My optimism stems from what coach cal was able to do at memphis with the DDM. I also read that he had only been using the DDM for a few years, the few that he happened to dominate CUSA. Thats why the whole Pitino owns Calipari argument doesnt hold water IMO, he wasnt even running the same system or getting the same type of recruits.
The sky is the limit bro, gotta dream big.
Hubs,
Well played about the whole Jordan thing, leaving him off was a travesty (SP?)
I think you are missing the picture with Calipari. The DDM burst onto the scene only a few years back and thats what created this recruiting success for him.
Rose and CDR are prolly the first 2 top guards that he had in the system and it seems to have worked for them. If you look at his classes in the past they have consistently gotten better up until now, where they have officially reached a ridiculous level.
Now, with this class, the recruits have realized that playing for Cal in the DDM is a fantastic way to showcase your talent and improve your skills to an NBA level.
Now add that to the fact that he is now at UK and UK has an ESPN contract next year.
The shit is about to get serious.
** this is just my opinion based on everything that I have found online **
** I also understand that this is prolly filled with some of the most kool aid laced comments in the history of kool aid, but Im a believer and am glad that I am not gonna get blasted for stating my opinion **
greedo
greedo, good stuff. in fact, you just got me HYPED! as of now, your optimism and my optimism are holding hands (no homo).
Chud, in all honesty my optimism has reached a sick level and I am aware of that.. I am also aware of the fact that we have a brand new coach running a brand new system so its not like Im expecting to win a title next year.. Or even the year after.. I am expecting to be better tho.
Before I sound too level headed let me say one more thing. I think the new system pretty much explains itself and on a comparison to a Tubby, Rick, or even BCG system I think this may be a 5 as far as difficulty to learn where as the others are all prolly 8 or so. I also think that the new coach will be loved by the UK players and I think it will show on the court..
Not only that, but I think the talent level is obviously about to go through the roof, and that talent is about to do us rightchea.
OK, fuck it, I realize the kool aid guys, I honestly do..
So from now on I think we should have 2 types of optimism;
1) the regular kind in which you think we will be better next year and will continue getting better, we'll just call that optimism.
2) The over the top kind, in which not only do you think its just a matter of time before we not only win a National Championship but eventually take over the world, we'll just call that Greedoism.
The Greedoist
i'm getting closer to greedoism evrytime i read a report that both henry and wall are leaning to UK.
i agree about there being a period of learning for the new offense, but i think having a rad PG will drastically reduce the learning curve. also, in all honesty, if we get both wall and henry, AND meeks and pat return, there's no reason that we won't be on the short list of early favorites to win the NCAA. that said, even if we're one of the favorites, i don't think we'll be worthy of a pre-season top-5 ranking. it'll take time for us to hit our stride.
I'M PUMPED!!!!
- This is in no way an attempt to rain on the optimisim parade going on right now, cause its a thing of beauty, but Im just passing on some sentiments I've picked up from House of Blue. I have a bit of an inkling that Henrys recruitment is turning the other way. Now I have nothing concrete, this is just a feeling I've gathered from reading reports from people who claim to be in the know.
- Again all Chris has heard from the Kansas people is positives for the UK camp, but given how closely guarded this recruitment is, I dont think its beyond the realm of possibility that they are just misreading the situation.
- My main thing is, just like if he wanted to go to Kansas he could have committed any point in his life, if it is down to UK and KU and he doesnt want to go to KU he could have already committed to UK. Like I said I dont think he has to visit campus to commit, but the longer he goes without committing, and doesnt take a visit makes me feel a little less certain about landing him. This is obviously a very tough situation for him.
- The other thing is that there are two posters on House of Blue who claim adamantly to be close to the situation, and they both say it is 80% KU right now because of his mom. They suggest he wants to play for UK, but the fact that him mom openly wants him at KU is weighing on him heavily.
- He also has stated that Jodie Meeks decision will factor into his, he didnt specify if he meant he wanted him to come back or not. Perhaps he meant he wants him to return so they can be contenders, or he could mean he doesnt want to share the spotlight with the a top shooting guard in the country.
- All Im saying is that my gut was telling me yesterday that we have this kid, but today Im starting to feel its way more up in the air. Chris still feels good about it and his sources are telling him good things, so thats much more important than my gut feeling, and that gives me comfort.
- Now the good news is this has nothing to do with how great our future could be in a year or two, so Chud and Greedos happiness can continue to rule the blog.
my optimism faded for a moment, but then rebounded stronger than ever, just like the mid-way point of when the band plays "on, on, U of K"
Optimist eh? I can dig that.
THe only problem with a rad PG is that there will be mistakes regardless. This is a new level for these players. You just don't dominate other great players.
Losing 3 players to the draft just plain sucks and will set your team back i.e. 2005 UNC squad. Hell look at them this year with the number 1 recruiting class as of now, they will be hurting next year. Not one and done players but anytime you have to regroup after losing players it just hurts no matter what you have coming in.
I hope they make kids stay 2yrs because it would be better and it would actually give a coach the chance to teach them up pretty good. I'm tired of the draft being laced with "potential kids" while proven kids are getting passed by.
He may say it's been instituted the last few years but look at those Wagner games all he did was go one on one. I will never knock his recruiting, he is proven at that level. His ego still kind of urks me but it still remains the perfect hire.
Just hope he gets some shooters to accompany those drivers which isn't really his M.O.
Rick doesn't put kids in the lottery because he convinces them to stay and they end up being better for it. Look at his products compared to Calipari's in the league. It's not even close.
Hubs, I feel that shooters comment.. That was my knock on Memphis this year.. But he had addressed the problem with Xavier..
We wont have that problem with Meeks (maybe), Miller, Hood, and Henry (maybe).
Not in the early going at least.
Miller and Hood will be around for a while and should only become more pure with time.
greedo
- Hubbs what Rick Pitino coached player is doing better than Derrick Rose? He hasn't put a successful pro in the NBA since he was at UK, I mean Garcia plays but hes on the worst team in the NBA and I dont think he starts.
- I'll tell you who was good at getting young men in the NBA who would find a nice litte niche was Tubby Smith. I think for all his recruiting woes he has more successful pros playing right now than Pitino and Cal combined.
- Chris got some info from a good source at Memphis that suggests my suspicions may have been correct. Story should be up on Ink within the hour.
Tayshaun Prince is better but he is a hybrid between Rick and Tubby. I agree about Tubby though. He just teaches the game so well and his players seem to get it. Rose is a rookie that is showing promise but he has a long way to go to become an All Star. Too many guards in the East.
They haven't put a ton of people in the league but I recall Ricks players being better because they usually are 3yr players. All Call seems to say is if you can get the money then go, no matter if they need another year to be groomed or not.
You think Tubby helped Rondo? That's how I feel about Rose. He could have gone out of high school.
- Tayshaun never played a second for Rick Pitino Hubbs, Im not sure he was even his recruit, he came in 99.
- Chris had a little more damning information that he couldnt print, and I cant put it here either, but there are two other obstacles that have risen. Still as odd as this recruitment has been it wouldnt surprise me if all this negative news doesnt end up helping us somehow. At least Matt Jones still seems upbeat about the recruitment.
- Chris will have some good news on his late night blog, so thats something to look forward to. Its something weve kind of expected, but its nice to hear someone with some real insight give some support to the thought process.
- I'm not calling Cali a miracle worker or anything Hubbs, but I do think the DDM got Derrick Rose the #1 pick in the draft last year. I dont remember him being talked about that high as a freshman, it really wasnt until his tourney run that his stock really took off I think. Everyone was swinging off Micheal Beasley last year.
- You're right though, he would have been a pro regardless, just like Rondo.
- Sorry guys, turns out my fagot ass gut feeling was true, Henry's to KU, Chris has from a good source, and MM the tool bag is reporting it too. I wonder how Memphis lost out so soon after gaining new life?
- I say lets go after Nolan Dennis, we need another 2 guard, and he'll be here for a few years, plus he wanted to play for Cal bad.
Just caught up on these comments, and the insanity needs to stop.
First off, Chud I respect your opinion more than just bout anyones, but no chance in hell any of these recruits comes to play without a scholarship...imagine John Wall committing, and Cali then having the gall to tell him that he would have to walk on...dude would be running the risk of getting stole...joking aside, no superstar kid would be humble enough to allow his ego to take that sort of symbolic hit
Second, I don't think Cali develops offensive talent as well as you guys say...in fact, I think that is one reason he gets superior talent (one and dones). He gets big name recruits because they know they will have the freedom to showcase their skills for the NBA in his system
Third, granted Rose may not have gone #1 without college, but he was a projected top 5 pick prior to playing college basketball...this dude was something serious...it's not like Cali took him from being some scrub to the #1 pick...in fact, it's debatable whether he even took him from a top 5 or lottery pick to a #1 pick...it may have a result of college period
Fourth, UK will be very very good within 2-4 years...but they will NOT win the SEC next year...
Fifth, you guys should really be excited about Cal's defense...that's where his teams earn their Ws...his teams are usually super strong physicially (even if some of them are in their mid-20's), extremely long, athletic, and tenacious on D...plus, his teams have usually rebounded pretty well
Sixth, before you guys get too excited though, someone should do some research regarding Cal's win-losses at Memphis and UMass when he played good out of conference teams...that would be an interesting statistic
Seventh, Tubby was just amazing at developing talent...people like Hayes, Daniels, Fitch would have been average under most coaches, but Tubby made them super...
Lastly, unless John Wall comes to UK, you guys will not have a one-and-done next year...Cousins will NOT be a one-and-done player, just a hunch
- Jason I can dig most of what you are saying, but I think you are wrong if you believe UK will definitely not win the SEC next year, there is a chance we could be the most talented ( all though young) team in the conference. Understand Im not saying we surely will, but I dont think it will take us 2-4 years to win the SEC.
- Cousins could be crap next year and still be a 1 and done, he has NBA All Star potential and thats all the league cares about. I wouldnt mind at all to be wrong though. By the way Scouts final rankings came out today and he finished 3rd overall in the class.
- I feel like I keep an even keel with these things, and I dont think I've hyped anything up too much about Cal outside his recruiting, which really speaks for itself. Thats all I'm sure about, outside of the fact we will be better, and no way we ever lose 3 IN A ROW TO FREAKING MISS ST AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!
Sone, i was just suggesting that as a possible solution to our lack of available scholarships, but the thought of a superstar recruit stealing Cal really made me laugh. Ans so did this: "his teams are usually super strong physicially (even if some of them are in their mid-20's)"
LOL!!!
so it looks like that at this moment we will miss out on Henry's services. i wish him well in his future endeavors.
let's all pray that wall still commits. i think everyone wanted him more to begin with, and just viewed henry as a gigantic bonus.
Yea Rav got what I was saying...at least about Rose anyway. That dude didn't develop much in that offense because he decided to take over whenever he wanted. He was that fast, that strong and that explosive at going to the rim. I guess this is what people are hoping Wall is no matter where he goes. He won't be as strong that's for sure. Rose was a man.
Their D is usually sick for the main reasons Rav said but accompany that with Conference USA teams that can skew stats a little bit. It doesn't mean they don't play D but like last this years team when they played the big boys they gave up a ton of points.
He will be consistantly playing decent to good teams now so we will really see what he's made out of so to speak. This isn't the best conference but it's probably the best one he's been in in a while.
So is Henry officially dunzo?
Are we now going after just Dodson and Bledsoe, or is Wall still in the mix?
i need answers!!!
~"oh, robert....."
from Matt Jones:
"I was told recently by a guy who covers recruiting full time, “Kentucky will by next year get whoever they want, whenever they want.” Read that again and digest. The time is coming and it will be glorious."
i can read this kind of stuff ALL DAY LONG!!!
- Wall is still in the mix Chud, keep the faith friend. We have a good shot, but as the Henrys reminded us anything can happen no matter what you are hearing.
-Chris told me we are about to go after Dodson real hard.
Shane,
Have they just decided they dont want Dennis? Or do they just think Dodson is more prepared to contribute next year?
Landing Wall and/or Bledsoe is sooo important right now.
And the return of Jodie has become way more important without Henry to ease the scoring load.
Chud, that comment was laced with greedoism!!!
Even Matt Jones is hip, and I didnt even invite his ass to this blog!!
greedo
- Greedo for the life of me I have no idea why Dennis is getting no love, Cal wanted him at Memphis, UCONN wants him, but last time Chris spoke with him UK hadnt even called!? Weird stuff.
- As for Dodson just texted Chris that he had been released from his LOI by Memphis, and he is going to give Chris an interview tonight after 9, when his cell phone is free. Should be up on INK around 10 or so I would guess. Also Chris's boy Brooks who is connected all throughout Memphis basketball, told Chris that he thinks Dodson goes to UK.
- Hubbs I hear Lance Stephenson is a possibility to Maryland, how do you feel about this one?
- J Tyler going pro is such a hit for UL, that kid is sick. I feel bad for their fans, cause if I had a recruit nice and tucked away that I was excited for and then he went pro after his JUNIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, I would be crushed.
the sound of someone going pro is still just as ridiculous as when i first heard that brandon bender was considering the same a few years ago
So Coach K had to postpone his meeting with Wall and Cal swoops in for his 3rd meeting w/ Wall in the last 3 weeks, eh....
:)
- Chris broke down for me what he had to do in order to get this story from Dodson, its pretty crazy how persistent he has to be with these recruits. For the most part they dont want to deal with journalist, it actually took some slick manuevering on his part, but I should refrain from giving out his trade secrets, funny as it may be.
- What Im getting at is that no one else has this story right now, even Brett Dawson was trying to leach some info off Chris, and Im going to be offended on Chris's behalf if he doesnt get the credit on this one. Kentuckysportsradio is where many get their info, because it is convenient when they pull their info with other sites, but they have only cited Chris once. Matt Jones recognized Chris when he broke Kevin Galloways commitment last year, but thats it. I know Chris has broken some of the stories in the last month faster than others, but KSR has given the credit to more established journalist who reported it later. All Im saying is that the dude is my best friend, and I love him like family, and he's working so hard right now, I just hope he gets his due on this one tomorrow. This rant really pertains to nothing important so sorry.
- What is important is that we got a player that Cal really wanted, this isnt some last minute Juco sub, this guy was gonna be at Memphis. I like the sound of his game, but remain only cautiously optimistic about any Juco. Though it should be noted he is a 4* on Rivals right now, and ESPN gave him a grade of 95 out of 100.
- All right, alls well. I just read on House of Blue where they were busting the staffs balls because of Chris breaking all this news before them consistently. Hehe, that makes me feel better.
I'll take him Shane for the reason that he is a slasher and slashers do well in our baseline offense. If he doesn't check that attitude at the door then he won't play for Gary. Gary doesn't play that ish.
I'm usually not for the one and dones but it would be addressing a need. I'm still a little skeptical though because dude is use to getting his. Last I heard though is that it was a toss up between Kansas and St. Johns. I think with Henry supposedly going to Kansas, could have opened the door up for us.
Maybe its just my opinion, but if I were a TOP recruit, there is no way in hell I'd be going to a second rate school.
There isnt a school in the country that wouldnt want Stephenson and with that kind of hype you would think someone would find room.
I get that he's a NY kid and St Johns is close to home, but that hasnt really helped keep talent there in the past.
Hubs, I hope the terps land this kid. They already have some height coming in, I just hope it is ready to contribute. With the addition of Stephenson, they could be looking to be a long shot to win the ACC next year..
Dont get me wrong, I'm not drinking the kool aid, I just think with him playing next to Vasquez you have one of the sickest 1-2 punches of scorers in the conference.
They just really really really need that height to be worth something. You just cant do well in a big conference starting a 6'7" overweight white dude. No matter how much he hustles, he will never get it done.
greedo
hubba, scroll down to the 3rd photo to get a taste of the dinkishness that might be coming your way.
p.s., i'd bet $500 that Lance has zero affiliation with the armed forces and that he also doesn't have access to a 3rd world dictator's wardrobe.
The line under that pic was awesome. Lance Stephenson is such a dink!! He looks like a wanna be GI Joe!!
Lookin Ass!!
greedo
Haha Chud. He has been on the Rucker too much man. I know he knows all the rappers in NY. MD ain't nothing but a 4-6hr drive to NY.
Your so right Greedo. The only problem is Gary will limit him to an extent because we have talent at the 2-3. We really need another PG because I don't think Bowie is really one although he does handle the ball well at 6'5". Getting MoMo Jones would have been nice but it looks like USC has him locked in.
Gary is in need of a sweet class being that he was on the hot seat before pulling maybe his best coaching job ever. I will always take that over recruiting for some reason. I just think when you can mix coaching ability and recruiting i.e Roy Williams/Tom Izzo, it pays wonders. He use to get the diamonds in the rough all the time and turn them in to legitimate players. He hasn't done that in a few years other than Vasquez.
Hubs, I respect what they do, I think Coach Cal's method will provide more consistent results, ie 3 straight 30 win seasons..
But that was in C USA, hopefully it will be true in the SEC as well..
Gary has just had some bad beats.. He doenst recruit the area very well, which is a focal point for fans, especially when the Terps are strugglin.. If he could consistently bring in 3 or 4 3-4 star recruits he would be fine.. But he hasnt quite done that.
Imagine playing at the Rucker your entire life!!
Playing with grown ass men in middle school..
Thats amazing to me..
greedo
And not just that Greedo, doing those dudes bad. When U of L was recruiting him(Sopho yr) he was 6'1" now he's 6'6".
Bad beats indeed. Players leaving for God knows what reason, decomits and other such things. It's just the nature of the game I suppose. I think he had a lot riding on the other guys that left because they were 4yr players and we didn't seem to get the back ups we wanted. I see now though he is out recruiting for the next 2yrs which is always good to see. He has all the top guys from MD at least listening right now.
Cal is more of the Go Big or Go Home type recruit which can produce 30 win seasons but if he fails to get to at least a Sweet 16 then his season is looked at as a failure due to "team talent". I think he will do big things, just sucks that I took my stand with U of L being that the Yankee type move rubbed me the wrong way. I still will root for them to an extent.
Honestly I hope he gets it turned around quick just so I can watch a ton of great games. I may be asking a lot because the SEC is still down for the most part. It's not unimaginable for them to win the SEC if they gel early.
- Chris has a nice story up on Ink right now about Bledsoe, its insane to think we could have two 5* pgs commit. Just the fact that it is a possibility is reason to take pause and shake your head. Not in the article is that Chris was told by a source that its 50/50 right now between UK and another school. Sadly the same source says its iffy on him qualifying, and even more sad is that apparently this kid has had a really tough life.
- Chris just told me that hes hearing we could have a big commitment soon, and Im not talking about John Wall boys. The first stud of our inevitable 2010 blockbuster class could be coming into the fold. Hes trying to get an interview with the kid so he can put up a story, so until that happens I cant say his name, just keep your eyes peeled on Ink.
consider them peeled, shane, consider them more than orange peeled.
shane, consider my banana peeled as well. no homo. yeah, from all i've read, as good as the 2009 class will be or could've been, 2010 might be one for the ages, or at least the best recruiting class until our 2011 class:)
Shit yeah boys!!
And Boom Goes The Dynamite!!!
greedo
so cals having individual meetings with the players today, eh?
farewell to the following...
stewart
harrellson
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