Randle to Kentucky

[Ichabod Drain]

Despite an ugly season for Kentucky culminating in their first round exit from the NIT, Juslius Randle just commited to UK to play basketball next year.

[CLW]

Despite an ugly season for Kentucky culminating in their first round exit from the NIT, Juslius Randle just commited to UK to play basketball next year.

At this point what can stop the recruiting machine that is Calipari/Kentucky? They just finished an AWFUL season losing in the 1st round of the N.I.T. and the next day they get the #3 player in the class. Would the kids still go when/if the probation hammer comes to Lexington?

[CDu]

Despite an ugly season for Kentucky culminating in their first round exit from the NIT, Juslius Randle just commited to UK to play basketball next year.

That gives UK the top PG, SG, PF, and C prospects in next year's class (unless you count Parker as a PF, then Randle is the #2 PF). They also have the #2 C and #3 SF and are in the running for the #1 SF.

I think any celebration of the demise of Calipari's one-and-done shop is a bit premature.

[NashvilleDevil]

They got 7 guys coming, 8 if Wiggins signs. How many guys other than Noel leave for the pros?

[Duvall]

They got 7 guys coming, 8 if Wiggins signs. How many guys other than Noel leave for the pros?

More importantly, how many other guys will also be leaving, just not for the pros?

[MarkD83]

Calipari sad the best day in Ky basketball was draft day last year. He can get as many top recruits as he wants as long as they play in the NIT and then go to the NBA.

This is perhaps a good time to list the factors that go into making an NCAA champion

1. Talented players (Ky gets those but so do a lot of teams)
2. Experienced players (Ky had those last year but not this year..recall because of the NBA lock out quite a few upper classman stayed at Ky even though they should have gone into the draft)
3. Leadership on the court (this can go along with experience but some players have it and some don't and it does not track with talent level.)
4. Lack of injuries (Ky was on the wrong end of that this year and Duke has had their unfair share of this in the past)
5. Team defense (again this is not related to talent level since High School rankings are almost always related to offensive stats.)
6. A good draw in the NCAA tournament

I am sure there are others and this might be a topic for a separate thread but it is worth thinking about when looking at the talent Ky brings in each year. One other quick observation,

Dino Gaudio made two great comments last night after the Ky game...to paraphrase

"perhaps we should evaluate recruiting classes after they have played a year in college"
"being a high draft pick does not mean you can play in the NBA"

[JasonEvans]

FWIW, here is how the various draft sites project the current Kentucky freshmen:

Noel - NBDraft.Net #4, Draftexpress #1, ESPN #2
Cauley-Stein - NBDraft.Net #9, Draftexpress #10 (in 2014), ESPN #16
Goodwin - NBDraft.Net #28, Draftexpress #18, ESPN #20
Poythress - NBDraft.Net #20 (in 2014), Draftexpress #15, ESPN #13

Seems likely that all 4 would see themselves as first round locks if they come out this year. Other than Goodwin, the other guys all are projected by some to be lottery picks. I am not sure who Calipari was talking about as uncoachable and the such in his horrible newser after the game, but these kids know how he feels about them. I bet at least a couple of them head to the NBA.

-Jason "all these guys (except Noel) need to worry about minutes next year with the ridiculous freshman class coming in at Kentucky" Evans

[CDu]

They got 7 guys coming, 8 if Wiggins signs. How many guys other than Noel leave for the pros?

Right now, UK has only 6 recruited players (not counting Noel) returning, so they don't need anyone else to go pro. But both Goodwin and Cauley-Stein could make the jump and be first-round picks.

[DUKIECB]

They got 7 guys coming, 8 if Wiggins signs. How many guys other than Noel leave for the pros?

Can someone smarter than me and more time on their hands breakdown the scholarship situation at Kentucky? It seems to me like they are going to have enough basketball players to be able to field a football team next year.

[Class of '94]

They got 7 guys coming, 8 if Wiggins signs. How many guys other than Noel leave for the pros?

Based on the guys that are coming and guys that are still there, I can't see Wiggins going to KY (too many guys at his and Randle's position). Unless several keys guys leave, it's going to be interesting to see how Calipari is going to distribute minutes with the current incoming recruits he has coming. This really could be a case of too much talent, especially when the chemistry wasn't good with this year's team; and unless they are forced out, many of those guys will be back.

[rsvman]

That gives UK the top PG, SG, PF, and C prospects in next year's class (unless you count Parker as a PF, then Randle is the #2 PF). They also have the #2 C and #3 SF and are in the running for the #1 SF.

I think any celebration of the demise of Calipari's one-and-done shop is a bit premature.

True.

On the other hand, this year's team was supposed to be a juggernaut, as well.

I suspect next year's version won't be nearly as bad as this year's, and yet not nearly as good as the team that won it all last year. Remember the 2010 Kentucky team? That team was loaded to the gills with great talent and was a very good team. However, they got beat by West Virginia in the tournament (and West Virginia was subsequently dismantled by some team....can't quite remember who, but it will come to me after a while).


So, although I agree that celebration of the "demise" of the system is premature, I don't necessarily think that next year's team will be proof that the system is awesome, either.

[JasonEvans]

unless they are forced out, many of those guys will be back.

It sounds like Ryan Harrow fully expects to be forced out. From the middle of this article...

Although he spoke about wanting to return to UK next season, Harrow acknowledged that Calipari has veto power over any player's wishes.

"If I can come back, I will come back," he said. "If I can't, I'll just have to make decisions, really."

How much of a colossal @^&@^!@ is Calipari that his kids are this aware he may cut them loose and pull their scholarship? Has Duke ever done this? At Kentucky, it is clear that you either perform the way Cal expects you to on the court, or you go somewhere else for your "education."

-Jason "if he were not real, you would think someone had invented Calipari to be a villain in a story" Evans

[crimsonandblue]

Right now, UK has only 6 recruited players (not counting Noel) returning, so they don't need anyone else to go pro. But both Goodwin and Cauley-Stein could make the jump and be first-round picks.

They are still actively recruiting Wiggins and Aaron Gordon. There are rumors of a plan to run off Harrow and possibly Hood, who as a graduating fifth-year senior, could do the transfer and play right away deal.

I don't know. This class is so good, UK will be dynamite next year. Just a crazy way to run a program and a crazy system that allows for it.

Calipari can trash his team, primp and preen, undercut the character of his players, lose in weak fashion to Bobby Mo, and cash another recruit. And I don't think he's even cheating doing it. He's just built up a ridiculous platform to feign interest in school, live in a dedicated building of just athletes, and revel in an artificial spotlight of ESPN and BBN glory. It's kind of amazing. Filthy, but amazing.

[JasonEvans]

On the other hand, this year's team was supposed to be a juggernaut, as well.

True. Pre-season #3 and everyone said, after they lost early, that they would learn to play together and would be a BEAST come February and March. Apparently, Robert Morris didn't get the memo

-Jason "and don't go citing Noel's injury as some death blow. They were hardly world beaters even before that -- likely about a #10 seed in the tourney" Evans

[timmy c]

Gone:
Long, Lanter, Malone - walk-ons
Mays - 5th year graduate student
Noel - despite injury, he's a lottery pick

Mostly gone:
Hood (redshirt junior with enough credits to graduate)
Polson (rumored to have enough credits to graduate early)
both of these players could play a graduate year at another program

Who is left:
Wiltjer and Harrow - stuck at the end of the bench
Poythress, Cauley-Stein, Goodwin - fighting for minutes

5 returning scholarship players plus the giant recruiting class still leaves room for Wiggins or Gordon.

[CDu]

Can someone smarter than me and more time on their hands breakdown the scholarship situation at Kentucky? It seems to me like they are going to have enough basketball players to be able to field a football team next year.

They have 12 guys on scholarship right now. 1 of those guys is a senior (Mays), 4 are walk-ons who were granted a scholarship this season due to extra availability, and 1 is all but guaranteed to go pro (Noel). That leaves potentially 6 guys returning with scholarships. They have 7 guys coming in. That would be 13, which is the limit.

That being said, I'd be shocked if at least 1 or 2 more guys don't go pro, opening up playing time and scholarships. UK is in the hunt for two more members of the top 15 recruits, including the #1 overall player in the class (Wiggins).

And of course, a guy like Hood could graduate and play somewhere else next year rather than get no PT as a senior.

[flyingdutchdevil]

They are still actively recruiting Wiggins and Aaron Gordon. There are rumors of a plan to run off Harrow and possibly Hood, who as a graduating fifth-year senior, could do the transfer and play right away deal.

I don't know. This class is so good, UK will be dynamite next year. Just a crazy way to run a program and a crazy system that allows for it.

Calipari can trash his team, primp and preen, undercut the character of his players, lose in weak fashion to Bobby Mo, and cash another recruit. And I don't think he's even cheating doing it. He's just built up a ridiculous platform to feign interest in school, live in a dedicated building of just athletes, and revel in an artificial spotlight of ESPN and BBN glory. It's kind of amazing. Filthy, but amazing.

Could not agree more. On every point. You may hate Calipari (I know I do), but you absolutely cannot blame him for this. If the system allows it, then unfortunately it's legit. I too do not think he is doing anything illegal / or cheating. He essentially built up such a reputation that money would play 2nd fiddle for recruits.

The NCAA needs a "jump to the NBA from high school" or "stay in college for at least 2 years rule". Kentucky turning into an NBA D-league is, as crimsonandblue stated perfectly, "filthy".

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Based on the guys that are coming and guys that are still there, I can't see Wiggins going to KY (too many guys at his and Randle's position). Unless several keys guys leave, it's going to be interesting to see how Calipari is going to distribute minutes with the current incoming recruits he has coming. This really could be a case of too much talent, especially when the chemistry wasn't good with this year's team; and unless they are forced out, many of those guys will be back.

I don't think having too many guys at his position is an issue for Wiggins. If he is as good as everyone says he is, he should be able to start ahead of these guys. Guys at that level usually get to where they do because they have a lot of self-confidence, and I'm sure he is pretty confident he can outplay all of his competition.

[BigWayne]

Can someone smarter than me and more time on their hands breakdown the scholarship situation at Kentucky? It seems to me like they are going to have enough basketball players to be able to field a football team next year.

There are people that do it as a business of sorts:

http://www.verbalcommits.com/schools/kentucky

[CDu]

I don't think having too many guys at his position is an issue for Wiggins. If he is as good as everyone says he is, he should be able to start ahead of these guys. Guys at that level usually get to where they do because they have a lot of self-confidence, and I'm sure he is pretty confident he can outplay all of his competition.

Yup. If anything, Wiggins would more likely push Poythress to the draft rather than Poythress preventing Wiggins from committing.

And the talk of chemistry issues is, I think, bogus. I think the bigger issue was that UK didn't have a PG (Harrow was a HUGE disappointment), didn't have enough guys who could create their own shot (pretty much only Goodwin could do it consistently, and he was sloppy with the ball), and didn't have enough toughness defensively (pretty much just Noel).

It wasn't so much a chemistry issue as it was a talent issue (especially after Noel got hurt). Next year's team shouldn't have as many of those issues, especially if Goodwin comes back.