2009 UK Basketball Thread - Part III

[dabvu2498]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

What would be really interesting is if both Meeks and Patterson leave and Kentucky is led by two (Wall, Cousins) or three (add Henry) freshmen, intent on being one and done. Could make for a trainwreck of a season or a Final Four. And, BTW, Meeks is a Top Five player in America if he returns. To say Henry is better is ridiculous. He may have talent, but the proof, as they say, is in the pudding and Meeks is a souffle.

Well put. Give me "the known" any day. Henry may be a great player. I know Meeks is. And yes, given the folks we know are going pro, Meeks will be a first team preseason All American.

[WMR]

Sounds like Nolan Dennis will be the next kid to commit to Kentucky under Coach Cal. #44 overall prospect in next year's class by ESPN... I *LOVE* this development. Nolan is an extremely talented kid who will be awesome at Kentucky, but he's also a kid who will likely stick around for AT LEAST 3 years. It's going to be important to get some of those supremely talented kids who will stick with the program for more than one season.

[WMR]

Originally Posted by dabvu2498

Had to fix that for you. Because we may be hearing from you that Henry is lazy and plays no d and wouldn't fit in Cal's system if he signs with Kansas.

LOL. Hopson isn't on the same planet right now as Xavier.

[WMR]

Originally Posted by WVRed

That really doesn't amount to much unless you are Carmelo Anthony.

I'd love to see the road to the NBA run through Lexington, but I'd also rather have a championship more.

Huh? We were debating Xavier vs. Meeks. He brought up AA and I brought up lottery pick.

[dabvu2498]

Originally Posted by WilyMoROCKS

LOL. Hopson isn't on the same planet right now as Xavier.

This is why I hate talking about recruiting. You're talking in absolutisms about a kid who has never played in a college game. He will very likely be a good player. But have you heard of Herb Pope? Davon Jeffferson? Ousmane Cisse? Marcus Taylor? All former top 5 ranked recruits from the past ten years.

[BRM]

Originally Posted by dabvu2498

This is why I hate talking about recruiting. You're talking in absolutisms about a kid who has never played in a college game. He will very likely be a good player. But have you heard of Herb Pope? Davon Jeffferson? Ousmane Cisse? Marcus Taylor? All former top 5 ranked recruits from the past ten years.

LeBron Henry is 100x better than all of them. It's an "absolute" truth.

[dabvu2498]

Originally Posted by BRM

LeBron Henry is 100x better than all of them. It's an "absolute" truth.

Roger, Roger.

[BRM]

Originally Posted by dabvu2498

Roger, Roger.

I hear they have already given him the Naismith Award for next season.

[dabvu2498]

Originally Posted by BRM

I hear they have already given him the Naismith Award for next season.

Vegas has UK as a favorite to make the Final 4. Degenerate gamblers tell me Vegas is always right.

[WVRed]

Originally Posted by WilyMoROCKS

Sounds like Nolan Dennis will be the next kid to commit to Kentucky under Coach Cal. #44 overall prospect in next year's class by ESPN... I *LOVE* this development. Nolan is an extremely talented kid who will be awesome at Kentucky, but he's also a kid who will likely stick around for AT LEAST 3 years. It's going to be important to get some of those supremely talented kids who will stick with the program for more than one season.

Out of curiosity, who would you rather have if you could pick? John Wall for one year or Eric Bledsoe for three to four?

From what I have been reading on Bledsoe, he is a better defender than Wall and could develop into a Chris Paul type.

[BRM]

Originally Posted by WVRed

Out of curiosity, who would you rather have if you could pick? John Wall for one year or Eric Bledsoe for three to four?

From what I have been reading on Bledsoe, he is a better defender than Wall and could develop into a Chris Paul type.

IU fans had these types of discussions last year with Gordon and Hummel. One year of Eric Gordon or 3-4 years of Robbie Hummel, which would you choose? Interesting debate for sure.

[WMR]

Originally Posted by WVRed

Out of curiosity, who would you rather have if you could pick? John Wall for one year or Eric Bledsoe for three to four?

From what I have been reading on Bledsoe, he is a better defender than Wall and could develop into a Chris Paul type.

Honestly, I don't know enough about Bledsoe to say.

However, if Meeks and Patterson both return along with Cousins, Dennis, and possibly Orton, I would want Wall. Wall could legitimately propel that squad into the Final Four next season.

[WVRed]

Originally Posted by BRM

IU fans had these types of discussions last year with Gordon and Hummel. One year of Eric Gordon or 3-4 years of Robbie Hummel, which would you choose? Interesting debate for sure.

This is what concerns me,

Let's say Wall spurns Kentucky and goes to Duke in order to stay close to home. He's in the ACC and it is unlikely Kentucky plays Duke unless its in the NCAA tournament.

Now lets say Wall goes to Kentucky. Bledsoe's top choices after UK are Alabama and Florida (Doubt UC factors much into the equation). We get Wall for one year, he departs, and we are likely facing Bledsoe as much as three times a year.

I'm sure you can see my point with Robbie Hummel. You just have to hope Cal can keep the revolving door continuing at PG, whether its Brandon Knight, Tony Wroten, Joe Jackson, or whoever.

[BRM]

Originally Posted by WVRed

This is what concerns me,

Let's say Wall spurns Kentucky and goes to Duke in order to stay close to home. He's in the ACC and it is unlikely Kentucky plays Duke unless its in the NCAA tournament.

Now lets say Wall goes to Kentucky. Bledsoe's top choices after UK are Alabama and Florida (Doubt UC factors much into the equation). We get Wall for one year, he departs, and we are likely facing Bledsoe as much as three times a year.

I'm sure you can see my point with Robbie Hummel. You just have to hope Cal can keep the revolving door continuing at PG, whether its Brandon Knight, Tony Wroten, Joe Jackson, or whoever.

There's the risk with one-and-done players. You better have another one coming in right afterwards to replace him.

[WMR]

Originally Posted by WVRed

This is what concerns me,

Let's say Wall spurns Kentucky and goes to Duke in order to stay close to home. He's in the ACC and it is unlikely Kentucky plays Duke unless its in the NCAA tournament.

Now lets say Wall goes to Kentucky. Bledsoe's top choices after UK are Alabama and Florida (Doubt UC factors much into the equation). We get Wall for one year, he departs, and we are likely facing Bledsoe as much as three times a year.

I'm sure you can see my point with Robbie Hummel. You just have to hope Cal can keep the revolving door continuing at PG, whether its Brandon Knight, Tony Wroten, Joe Jackson, or whoever.

After doing some cursory research, I'm not worried about missing out on Bledsoe at all. First of all, he's six feet tall. Cal likes BIG guards.

Secondly, I'd take Nolan Dennis all day every day over Bledsoe. Dennis is MUCH taller (6'5") and is a combo guard who can do it all.

I would say that Bledsoe is a player that Cal looks at only as a back-up plan. He would also almost certainly recruit over him with a bigger guard who is just as--if not more--talented by his second year.