UK Basketball 8th Edition

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by WMR

Best news is this: look at the competition. 2010-2011 had some incredible teams (some of whom we ended up beating on the way to the Final Four).

This season, the two "best" teams heading into the season according to the experts are IU and UL. Looking at mock drafts, it is obvious that UK has the most NBA talent of the three, and, judging by history, they will be hitting their peak right around March.

I would also say that the "experts" are the ones that say UK has the most NBA talent as well. It is always hard to tell how young talent melts together. To me basing the college game on NBA talent doesnt always make sense, but talent is talent. I am sure the 'Cats will be there come March.

[Revering4Blue]

Originally Posted by Assembly Hall

Yogi should give us what we lacked last year, a true point guard. Hulls is a tough player but more suited for the SG. The only thing I am concerned about is chemistry. Yogi's minutes will have to come from somewhere, but regardless it is a good problem to have and they will be the B1G's clear front runner.

IMO, Michigan is a FF contender. They have a few holes to fill with some senior losses and to me an unexcpected tranfer loss, but they did what they did last year without any post presence. That should be taken care of this year.

I think last year was Tubby's best coaching job at Minny. He lost his best player for the year and they had their chance coming down the stretch. I think they only lose Sampson III and they get Trevor back. They are a tournament team but I dont see them finishing in the top 4 in the conference.

Ohio St. is a curious one. On paper it might appear they will take a step back, but I dont see it that way. It is DeShaun's team now and I think they will be fine and challenge for the conference title.

I think that Michigan St and Iowa are two teams to watch. Izzo gets so much out of his Spartans and they have a great class coming in. Iowa did great last year and Fran has the Hawks heading in the right direction.

Nice summary, AH.

[New York Red]

Originally Posted by LexRedsFan

Re: UK #1 Article

Does it make any other UK fans nervous to start out that high? Even last year's team wasn't hyped as #1 by anyone outside of us, really. It was all UNC this..UNC that going into the year.

I have to disagree with this. While UNC started out #1 in the AP poll, UK also received #1 attention in other rankings, and it was unanimous that UK and UNC were 1-2 above everyone else from day one (I never took Syracuse seriously).

The '12/'13 UK team isn't deserving of a #1 preseason ranking, but neither is anyone else. IU and UofL have to be the weakest 1-2 in the history of college basketball. IU stumbled down the stretch, going something like 10-8 the last half of the regular season, while Louisville wasn't even ranked in the Top 25 as recently as February. Like I've said many times, and as the experts have opined often, this coming year will be a very down year for college basketball.

[Razor Shines]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by New York Red

I have to disagree with this. While UNC started out #1 in the AP poll, UK also received #1 attention in other rankings, and it was unanimous that UK and UNC were 1-2 above everyone else from day one (I never took Syracuse seriously).

The '12/'13 UK team isn't deserving of a #1 preseason ranking, but neither is anyone else. IU and UofL have to be the weakest 1-2 in the history of college basketball. IU stumbled down the stretch, going something like 10-8 the last half of the regular season, while Louisville wasn't even ranked in the Top 25 as recently as February. Like I've said many times, and as the experts have opined often, this coming year will be a very down year for college basketball.

You really crack me up. IU and UL the worst 1-2 in the history of college basketball? Give me a break dude. What do Louisville and IU have to do in your opinion to have solidified their pre-season ranking?

I went back 40 years in the AP poll. Of those 40 seasons, only 14 times that the team started at #1 finished at #1. Of those 14 teams, only 6 won the National Championship.

IU and Louisville have all their important pieces coming back from strong tournament runs. Nobody out there has as much talent returning.

[Scrap Irony]

Nobody out there has much talent returning.

IU has Zeller and a cast of decent role players. Louisville has Deng and a bunch of question marks.

In a normal year, neither UofL nor IU would be top five, let alone top team.

The talent returning to the NCAA is weak. Weaker than it's been for a long, long time, IMO.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

Nobody out there has much talent returning.

IU has Zeller and a cast of decent role players. Louisville has Deng and a bunch of question marks.

In a normal year, neither UofL nor IU would be top five, let alone top team.

The talent returning to the NCAA is weak. Weaker than it's been for a long, long time, IMO.

You fellas are killing me.

Zeller and a bunch of decent "role" players? Scrap, Watford would have been a selection in the draft this year. As would have Oladipo. Role players......??

The 'ville made it to the FF last year.......a bunch of question marks?

Last year was weak if you ask me, and I dont care what the NBA draft says. The year before that was weak. Fellas, dont you realize that guys going pro early affects the college game?

Geez, I am starting to think that just because IU and Louisville are the projected 1-2 teams, that the UK fans are starting to make excuses already. It wouldnt have anything to do with them being your rivals would it?

[WMR]

Scrap isn't a UK fan. He roots for Western Kentucky. And he's never been hesitant on criticizing UK when he feels they deserve it.

[LexRedsFan]

Originally Posted by Assembly Hall

The 'ville made it to the FF last year.......a bunch of question marks?

Go look at what they did in the regular season. They beat a single top 25 team (Vanderbilt, minus Ezeli). They lost by 31 to Providence.

Hell, in the tournament they beat a pair of mid-majors followed by Michigan State and UF. The weakest one seed and a 7 seed who was IMO the quality of a 4 seed.

I just don't see the love for Louisville. Every champion has a guy who you look at and say "go get me a bucket," and they do it. Who is theirs? Siva gets eaten alive by any team with a bigger defender. They lose their leading scorer off last year's team, and their #2 scorer shot 35 percent from the field.

They got hot at the end of the year after a mediocre regular season. It reminds me of Michigan State got going into 2010-11 where they flopped after making a final four run in '09-'10. I'm not sold on Louisville. Indiana, I'm sold on as a top 5 team.

[TeamSelig]

What do you think about the draft tonight?

Prediction:

Davis #1 to NO
MKG #5 to the Kings
Jones #15 to 76ers
Teague #25 to Grizzlies
Lamb #29 to Chicago
Miller #35 to GSW

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by WMR

Scrap isn't a UK fan. He roots for Western Kentucky. And he's never been hesitant on criticizing UK when he feels they deserve it.

That may be..........but his comment on IU is way off.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by LexRedsFan

Go look at what they did in the regular season. They beat a single top 25 team (Vanderbilt, minus Ezeli). They lost by 31 to Providence.

Hell, in the tournament they beat a pair of mid-majors followed by Michigan State and UF. The weakest one seed and a 7 seed who was IMO the quality of a 4 seed.

I just don't see the love for Louisville. Every champion has a guy who you look at and say "go get me a bucket," and they do it. Who is theirs? Siva gets eaten alive by any team with a bigger defender. They lose their leading scorer off last year's team, and their #2 scorer shot 35 percent from the field.

They got hot at the end of the year after a mediocre regular season. It reminds me of Michigan State got going into 2010-11 where they flopped after making a final four run in '09-'10. I'm not sold on Louisville. Indiana, I'm sold on as a top 5 team.

I by no means follow Louisville. But the facts are, what they are. They made the FF last year, it doesnt matter who they played to get there. It also doesnt matter what happened in the regular season, especially when it is a conference foe. When teams make it that far, and basically have everybody coming back for the next season, they are gonna be ranked high coming into the season.

[LexRedsFan]

Originally Posted by Assembly Hall

I by no means follow Louisville. But the facts are, what they are. They made the FF last year, it doesnt matter who they played to get there. It also doesnt matter what happened in the regular season, especially when it is a conference foe. When teams make it that far, and basically have everybody coming back for the next season, they are gonna be ranked high coming into the season.

Well, of course they're going to be ranked high. That doesn't mean they SHOULD be. Which is what I'm saying.

[Scrap Irony]

Originally Posted by Assembly Hall

I by no means follow Louisville. But the facts are, what they are. They made the FF last year, it doesnt matter who they played to get there. It also doesnt matter what happened in the regular season, especially when it is a conference foe. When teams make it that far, and basically have everybody coming back for the next season, they are gonna be ranked high coming into the season.

If last year's regular season didn't matter, why should last year's last five games? Or IU's last four?

Last year is last year, after all.

This year, neither team has all that much talent. Zeller's a stud. Likely POY, in fact. After that, it's a crapshoot. A freshman PG? Especially one that's not considered an elite (re, top five) recruit. He's also tiny, which will hurt IU as they play larger guards. Others are role players. Hull can shoot, but can't defend. Watford's a shooter that gets into funks and can't buy a basket that took a giant step backward last season. Oladipo has tons of talent, but cannot shoot outside of ten feet and is turnover prone.

Overall, IU's got a great center, but is going to rely almost completely on Zeller, spot-up shooters, and an undersized PG who's quick but tiny.

That's fine, though, as no one else has any talent returning either.

Louisville's Siva is great one game and horrid for three. There's no in-between in his game. Deng is very good and has a chance to be dominating. But his game is still a work in progress. Benahan is a 6'5" power forward. I like his girth, but he can't shoot and has little in the way of offensive moves other than bulling around the basket. And this team cannot shoot. At all. Their best shooter graduated, too. As did their second-best shooter.

Michigan, to me, looks decent. OSU has Deshaun Thomas, who I like to blossom into a 20/10 guy, and Aaron Craft. Florida has five good players but doesn't play much D. Kansas has Withey and a couple nice role players in Johnson and Relaford.

That's pretty much it.

Maybe UCLA or Kentucky freshmen blossom into a special team. I don't see it in either area this year. (Kentucky doesn't look to be able to shoot either.) Maybe IU players all take a step forward. Maybe Louisville's guys learn how to shoot.

But at this point, there's no question the talent level is down across the game.

[Assembly Hall]

Originally Posted by LexRedsFan

Well, of course they're going to be ranked high. That doesn't mean they SHOULD be. Which is what I'm saying.

You asked about the love for Louisville and I told you. And why shouldn't they be ranked high?