Memphis could have 3 one-and-done players next yr

[houstondukie]

If John Wall goes to Memphis, they will.

They just received a strong verbal from consenus national top 5 player, PF Demarcus Cousins.
Cousins joins another consensus national top 5 player, SG Xavier Henry.

[OldSchool]

Memphis should just move from Conference USA to the D-League.

[FireOgilvie]

Memphis should just move from Conference USA to the D-League.

LOL. True. More NBA talent goes through Memphis than anywhere else recently... and I don't think it's that close. Cousins and Henry are probably lottery picks in 2010.

[gotham devil]

If John Wall goes to Memphis, they will.

They just received a strong verbal from consenus national top 5 player, PF Demarcus Cousins.
Cousins joins another consensus national top 5 player, SG Xavier Henry.

John Calipari does a masterful job of recruiting. Thank God he didn't take the NC State gig.

[dukemsu]

I doubt that NC State would have been as complicit with Cal's recruiting philosophy and all the smoke that comes with it as Memphis is. Just an opinion. That may be why he did not go.

Cal has also never much cared for being in a competitive league. He was able to (via dubious circumstances) assemble a massive talent advantage in the A10 at UMass. He is assembling a massive talent advantage at Memphis. His teams can basically take the months of January and February off and get it together for the tournament. To their credit, they compete well there consistently.

Wouldn't fly in the ACC. He knows what he is doing, but he also knows how to create his environment.

dukemsu

[dukeballer2294]

I was thinking the exact same thing when I saw Cousins commited. They could be the pre-season number 1 next year if Evans stays and Wall goes there.

[geraldsneighbor]

What a decision Cal would have. The team has thrived since moving Tyreke Evans to PG. Obviously Wall is a PG as well, so that would be an interesting call for him.

[Memphis Devil]

What a decision Cal would have. The team has thrived since moving Tyreke Evans to PG. Obviously Wall is a PG as well, so that would be an interesting call for him.

I am not sure but I think Cal is out of scholarships. It had been my feeling all along that he suspended Matt Simpkins indefinitely (late for meetings, curfew, practice; certainly not Cal's M.O.) just in case he needed to pull out another scholarship for next season. Should John Wall choose to play in Memphis, Cal will have pulled off one hell of a class. Since, I really don't like the guy, it pains me to say that.

[crimsonandblue]

What a decision Cal would have. The team has thrived since moving Tyreke Evans to PG. Obviously Wall is a PG as well, so that would be an interesting call for him.

Evans didn't go there to stay two years. Nor are Henry or Cousins going there to stick.

It is what it is. The NCAA allows this stuff. From what I can tell, as long as the kids make normal academic progress in their one year, their leaving early doesn't even hurt the school's APR score. Kids you know are looking at being one and done make me uneasy.

I wish basketball would go with the baseball scheme. Let kids go pro out of high school. But if you go to school, you're there three (maybe as few as two) years.

It's silly that Brandon Jennings is off polluting Europe and that Tyreke Evans is in Memphis for a school year (if that much).

[Memphis Devil]

What a decision Cal would have. The team has thrived since moving Tyreke Evans to PG. Obviously Wall is a PG as well, so that would be an interesting call for him.

Also, Evans or Wall at the point wouldn't be much of an issue, I don't think. Evans is not a true point guard. He is just the best option the team currently has available. His natural position is the two and that is where he will play on the next level. I think, should Evans stay and Wall sign, you would be looking at a line up of: Wall-1, Henry-2, Evans-3, Cousins-4, Shawn Taggert-5. This would be a very talented group, but obviously, very inexperienced.

[calltheobvious]

If Cousins is a one-and-done, he'll be lucky to be drafted in the first round.

This kid is not going to be a superstar; he won't even be a good teammate, because he's incredibly soft mentally. He played for a high school coach at LeFlore (AL) who himself is a prima donna, and doesn't do anything to instill any sort of toughness in his team.

In the last several years they've become a 'national' program, but they don't seem to care one whit about their regular season and state post-season competition. Cousins was shut down by a much, much smaller opponent in the state semi-finals (lost to Eric Bledsoe), drawing his fifth foul on a technical with over three minutes to go. Charles Barkley came to the game specifically to watch him, and he was disappointed-bordering-on-disgusted with what he saw.

One-and-done maybe, but not way he's a freshman star.

[Billy Dat]

I doubt that NC State would have been as complicit with Cal's recruiting philosophy and all the smoke that comes with it as Memphis is. Just an opinion. That may be why he did not go.

Cal has also never much cared for being in a competitive league. He was able to (via dubious circumstances) assemble a massive talent advantage in the A10 at UMass. He is assembling a massive talent advantage at Memphis. His teams can basically take the months of January and February off and get it together for the tournament. To their credit, they compete well there consistently.

Wouldn't fly in the ACC. He knows what he is doing, but he also knows how to create his environment.

dukemsu

Great post, and I'll add that his teams also don't get beat up as much through their conference play. You could argue that they don't have has great an opportunity to get better, but I think Cal takes that chance and figures they get better practicing against each other. It also allows him to play the card he's playing like crazy right now, "Because our conference is perceived as weak, my kids aren't allowed to lose. We lose, we drop 10 points in the polls...none of big teams in the power conferences have to worry about that!" As a result, he's always got a carrot to dangle in front of his team. You may think the guy is a little sleazy, but he's not dumb.

Cal has also openly taken a position that few big coaches are willing to go public with, "These days, it's not about the name on the front of the jersey, it's about the name on the back!" I don't agree with the philosophy, but Cal has differentiated himself by fully embracing the AAU me-first culture. I'm not saying that it's a formula for enduring success, nor one that I'd ever want Duke to emulate, but Cal's got the machine cranked up in Bluestown.

[RoyalBlue08]

There is NO way Wall goes to Memphis if Evans stays...but I think there is little chance of Evans staying anyway, so it is a moot point. However, if Wall does decide to go to Memphis their big three freshmen would make them instant title contenders and perhaps #1 to start the year in the AP Poll. It is sad that this is what college basketball is coming to; I really wish they would let these kids that don't really want to be in college anyway go right to the NBA and leave college basketball for the kids that want to go to college!

[BD80]

... From what I can tell, as long as the kids make normal academic progress in their one year, their leaving early doesn't even hurt the school's APR score. ...

What qualifies as normal academic progress? Do they have to attend class in the second semester? How many classes must they pass in the first semester?

I think so many one-and-done players would backfire. It would result in poor chemistry and too much focus on individual stats - at least I hope so.

[brevity]

I think so many one-and-done players would backfire. It would result in poor chemistry and too much focus on individual stats - at least I hope so.

Exactly. See, Memphis 2009-2010 will have a problem that its past 2 squads will not: multiple one-and-dones. John Calipari can benefit from a single freshman stud, given the veterans and role players around him. But building a team with a foundation of freshmen will be extremely problematic.

It could be done, given the liberties Calipari can take within the relatively easy C-USA schedule. That's a lot of time to tinker. But ultimately I think the Tigers are due an early exit in next year's tournament. This isn't Fab Five Redux.

[FireOgilvie]

Exactly. See, Memphis 2009-2010 will have a problem that its past 2 squads will not: multiple one-and-dones. John Calipari can benefit from a single freshman stud, given the veterans and role players around him. But building a team with a foundation of freshmen will be extremely problematic.

It could be done, given the liberties Calipari can take within the relatively easy C-USA schedule. That's a lot of time to tinker. But ultimately I think the Tigers are due an early exit in next year's tournament. This isn't Fab Five Redux.

Ohio State a few years ago did a pretty good job with Oden, Conley, and Daequan Cook.

[houstondukie]

Exactly. See, Memphis 2009-2010 will have a problem that its past 2 squads will not: multiple one-and-dones. John Calipari can benefit from a single freshman stud, given the veterans and role players around him. But building a team with a foundation of freshmen will be extremely problematic.

It could be done, given the liberties Calipari can take within the relatively easy C-USA schedule. That's a lot of time to tinker. But ultimately I think the Tigers are due an early exit in next year's tournament. This isn't Fab Five Redux.

If they land Wall, they will have recruited the top 3 high school seniors in the country (according to rivals.com)

John Wall - rivals #1 overall
Demarcus Cousins - rivals #2 overall
Xavier Henry - rivals #3 overall

They also have three 4-star players in that class, including Nolan Dennis, who had offers from UNC, Florida, Texas, UCLA, UConn, and Kansas.

I may be mistaken, but I don't think even the Fab Five were this highly ranked a bunch.

[Indoor66]

I may be mistaken, but I don't think even the Fab Five were this highly ranked a bunch.

Yea, and how did that work out for Michigan? :rolleyes:

[Double DD]

Yea, and how did that work out for Michigan? :rolleyes:

Two national title game appearances?

[DevilCastDownfromDurham]

Two national title game appearances?

Check the record books...

[Indoor66]

Two national title game appearances?

All vacated for violations. :eek:

[Double DD]

All vacated for violations. :eek:

I'm sure Michigan fans enjoyed it at the time. :)

Actually, I wonder how many fanbases would take the tradeoff. It'd be interesting to see who fell on either side of the fence.

[Indoor66]

I'm sure Michigan fans enjoyed it at the time. :)

Actually, I wonder how many fanbases would take the tradeoff. It'd be interesting to see who fell on either side of the fence.

How about the miserable years that followed - only now recovering? That is a long time in the wilderness - about 15 or so years....

[Double DD]

How about the miserable years that followed - only now recovering? That is a long time in the wilderness - about 15 or so years....

I think it took a while for the sanctions to hit and I think a lot of the trouble winning would have occurred regardless. The last 3 years Steve Fisher was there they only had 2 1st round exits (as 13 and 11 loss teams) and an NIT appearance.