UK to have 5 underclassmen leaving...

#1
Hardwood_fanatic

Hardwood_fanatic

Bluegrass OG 4 life
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#1
Excerpt from the Courier Journal:

"Back from the McDonald's All-American media day in Columbus, Ohio, where there was lots of chatter about the University of Kentucky.

The biggest news from the interviews seems to be each of the five UK targets have been told five underclassmen are leaving for UK. Raleigh (N.C.) forward C.J. Leslie - a former teammate of UK freshman John Wall - actually corrected me when I asked him a question about guys leaving and said, "No, five are going." I had asked how much of an impact it would have on his decision if three or four guys declared for the NBA Draft.

Another player told laughed when a group was asking him about guys leaving Kentucky and later said he was told "Wall, Pat, Bledsoe, Cousins and Orton are all gone." So that's the assumption that the best of the best high school players left undecided are going by.

Oak Hill's Doron Lamb said "who goes and who comes back" will have a major impact on what school he decides to attend and Terrence Jones said he's "watching everything" and then will try and process all the information when Oregon hires a coach.

Florida standout guard Brandon Knight (photo) slipped up and used the word "we" when asked a UK question by WKYT's Steve Moss in an interview.

courier-journal.com | Jody Demling - Recruiting blog | The Courier-Journal
 
#5
#5
One thing about Josh Selby - don't count Tennessee out. He had previously been committed to the Volunteers and then backed off it and now they are back on his list.
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Way to leave this part out
 
#6
#6
utman47 said:
Way to leave this part out
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Yeah, I left it out on purpose. How does Josh Selby having UT on his list relate to UK and their situation whatsoever? Which if you didn't notice, is the focal point of the thread. You have 9 threads in the UT forum about Selby, there is no reason to be looking for it here.
 
#7
#7
Yeah, I left it out on purpose. How does Josh Selby having UT on his list relate to UK and their situation whatsoever? Which if you didn't notice, is the focal point of the thread. You have 9 threads in the UT forum about Selby, there is no reason to be looking for it here.
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Vol message board. Keep us happy
 
#10
#10
Hardwood_fanatic said:
Yeah, I left it out on purpose. How does Josh Selby having UT on his list relate to UK and their situation whatsoever? Which if you didn't notice, is the focal point of the thread. You have 9 threads in the UT forum about Selby, there is no reason to be looking for it here.
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Everything on this board is UT, notice all the orange, the vol in the URL. Feel free to post UK stuff on a UK message board.
 
#12
#12
Thanks for the info, HF. You're ok for a kitten. I think Bledsoe would set himself to make a little more cash by coming back, but I can understand his reasoning. I just don't understand Orton's reasoning at all.

Yes, UK will reload. Any combo of Selby/Knight and CJ Leslie is pretty scary. Not gonna lie, though...I'm glad they're all leaving!
 
#14
#14
Enough of that, I am glad to see everyone leaving, my questions for Kentucky fans, what do you think of the one and dones?? I know the obvious answer is as long as KY wins it doesn't matter but I want to know if you like that better than what Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and other top programs are doing with mostly veteran teams with a one and done thrown in there every once in awhile.
 
#15
#15
Dude, he's posting pertinent, relevant info in the right place. I don't see anything wrong with HF. He's about as respectable a rival fan as we have. He's right, too. There's a dozen Selby threads and we ALL know that he is atleast giving UT a little thought. If it was important that the Selby part be mentioned, you took care of that for us. So, thanks to both of you. Pretty good thread full of info, IMO.
 
#16
#16
Are Kentucky fans excited about the continous reloading of one and done players? Or is Calapari gonna start recruiting 2-3 year players?
 
#17
#17
westtnvol said:
Enough of that, I am glad to see everyone leaving, my questions for Kentucky fans, what do you think of the one and dones?? I know the obvious answer is as long as KY wins it doesn't matter but I want to know if you like that better than what Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and other top programs are doing with mostly veteran teams with a one and done thrown in there every once in awhile.
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Hey HF, I'd like to add to this.

I told a UK buddy that there would come a game in the 'AA that Cal would have to rely on Patterson to carry them. I even called it being the WV game, too. Do you think that maybe things would have been different if Patterson was allowed to shoulder the team for a period and provide that leadership that UK lacked...or...do you think that Patterson shyed away from that oppurtunity?

I do think you can win with 1 and dones...but you really need some vets to step up and fill important roles as well.
 
#19
#19
HF, how's the local Kentuckians taking the one and done possibilities?

I know my in-laws were fine with it when it was brought up in December, but now they are starting to be concerned. But, in their defense they are ignorant and also don't follow recruiting at all.
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#20
#20
westtnvol said:
Enough of that, I am glad to see everyone leaving, my questions for Kentucky fans, what do you think of the one and dones?? I know the obvious answer is as long as KY wins it doesn't matter but I want to know if you like that better than what Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and other top programs are doing with mostly veteran teams with a one and done thrown in there every once in awhile.
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Even though Duke is in the final four, I'm still not a huge fan of what they have turned into over the last several years. K seems to refuse recruitingthe upper tier "one and done" prospects, which limits their ceiling, IMO.

My personal opinion, I would rather see the UNC/KU type of roster where you build a nucleus of upper classmen sprinkled with some one and done talent. Main reason being, I'm convinced (as are many)that Cal's strengths are obviously his recruiting, not necessarily his X's and O's. The one way to possibly overcome his coaching deficiencies, is to offset the youth factor that comes with one and done players, with experienced upper classmen. As many have already said, this IS the most talented team he will have had at UK for the forseeable future.

However, the one advantage to his recruitment of multiple one and done type players is that in some form or fashion, we reload every single year. We are able to compete for titles every single year, albeit with freshmen/sophmore dominated rosters.

Its a fair trade I suppose, but it remains to see whats going to happen in the long run.



jrobison said:
Hey HF, I'd like to add to this.

I told a UK buddy that there would come a game in the 'AA that Cal would have to rely on Patterson to carry them. I even called it being the WV game, too. Do you think that maybe things would have been different if Patterson was allowed to shoulder the team for a period and provide that leadership that UK lacked...or...do you think that Patterson shyed away from that oppurtunity?

I do think you can win with 1 and dones...but you really need some vets to step up and fill important roles as well.
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I don't think Ppat shyed away from it. The way we laid an egg against that 1-3-1 zone, Patterson nor Cousins really had much of a chance to assert their will on the game. Wall and Bledsoe were able to get in the lane at will, once they broke the top of the zone down, but that was rare. When Patterson and Cousins got the ball down low, especially at the beginning of the game, they were able to score effeciently.

Calipari made the statement toward the end of the season of "if you have an open shot, you better take it or your coming out". That came back to bite us in the ass, as we took the easy way out chucking up 3's instead of working hard to get the ball in the paint.

Coaching and inexperience were the two big factors in that one.
 
#21
#21
Lofton4Three said:
HF, how's the local Kentuckians taking the one and done possibilities?

I know my in-laws were fine with it when it was brought up in December, but now they are starting to be concerned. But, in their defense they are ignorant and also don't follow recruiting at all.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
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Myself, I was prepared for all 5 leaving, because I follow it daily. The problem with most people, is that they are completely stunned by the departures of Bledsoe and Orton. Everyone blindly assumed that Bledsoe would slide into the PG spot and Orton would step up to the Center roll.

Combine that with the fact that we only have 2 commitments so far, some people are nervous. Mainly, as you point out, because they are unaware of the talent coming in this season, and especially the class that is shaping up for 11'.

Its a fool who assumes that Kentucky will amass the talent it had this season again. However, I do think within the next 3-4 years after we do build a decent nucleus of players to supplement the one and done, things should level out.
 
#22
#22
Hardwood_fanatic said:
Myself, I was prepared for all 5 leaving, because I follow it daily. The problem with most people, is that they are completely stunned by the departures of Bledsoe and Orton. Everyone blindly assumed that Bledsoe would slide into the PG spot and Orton would step up to the Center roll.

Combine that with the fact that we only have 2 commitments so far, some people are nervous. Mainly, as you point out, because they are unaware of the talent coming in this season, and especially the class that is shaping up for 11'.

Its a fool who assumes that Kentucky will amass the talent it had this season again. However, I do think within the next 3-4 years after we do build a decent nucleus of players to supplement the one and done, things should level out.
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Kind of what I figured. Also, with the high expectations by many that were not met this year that indifference in December turns to doubt a little quicker.

As long as Cal is there, though, the concern on whether or not the talent is there should be a non-issue.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
 
#23
#23
HF, I know Cal will probably stick around for several years at KY, but do you think he will give the NBA another shot or do you think he is going to stay around for several years at KY?
 
#24
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westtnvol said:
HF, I know Cal will probably stick around for several years at KY, but do you think he will give the NBA another shot or do you think he is going to stay around for several years at KY?
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Well, he has made the statement himself that he will not be coaching at UK in ten years. Its just a gut feeling with little to back it up, but from the sense of things I'm under the impression he will stay between 5-7 years. Should he win a NC in that period, Its probably adios and on to the NBA once more.

However, you know as well as I do the type of salesman he is. He could make people in Kentucky believe that cow shat cures cancer. He could sell everyone on the fact he's staying and be in New Jersey with Wall and LeBron by the start of next season.

However, if I had to lay a bet on the table its somewhere between 5-7 years.
 
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