UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Johnny Juzang enters the portal.
Was kinda surprised but it tells me Quickley and/or Maxey will be back. Surprised nobody from Kentucky has declared for the draft yet but you have to feel it’s coming.
Hopefully this ends Cal recruiting the west coast. First Jemarl Baker and now Juzang. Devin Askew reclassified but he looks to be one and done.
Still, a loaded recruiting class coming in. Should be interesting to see who comes back.
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Juzang, wanting to move back west, has Villanova, Texas Tech, Notre Dame, and Virginia in his final six schools.
EJ Montgomery's Dad basically said he's ready to leave. Quickley looks like an early 2nd rounder, so he's likely going to go as well. Maxey's a late lottery guy. (Maybe.)
The one that confuses me, in terms of draft picking, is Nick Richards. Dude went 14/8. Michigan State and OSU aside, he played his best ball against the best teams Kentucky played. (And the best bigs.) He's an elite athlete, a rim-runner who can also shoot already out to 18. Premier defender and shot blocker. Outstanding rebounder. His upside is an All-Star level stretch five. His floor is a second-unit rim-runner and 15 mpg defense-first guy who won't embarrass himself against wings or bigs.
That should have value, especially in a weak draft.
Explain it to me, Kentucky fans.
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bourgeois Zee
Juzang, wanting to move back west, has Villanova, Texas Tech, Notre Dame, and Virginia in his final six schools.
Not what Yahoo reported this morning. It was UCLA, Arizona, Oregon, 'Nova, Texas Tech, and Notre Dame.
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Interesting game on KSR. You've got $15 and need a starting five from the following list:
$5 Guys
John Wall
Jamal Murray
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Karl-Anthony Towns
Anthony Davis
$4 Guys
Brandon Knight
Malik Monk
Devin Booker
Julius Randle
DeMarcus Cousins
$3 Guys
D'Aaron Fox
Doron Lamb
D. Miller
Terrence Jones
Willie Cauley-Stein
$2 Guys
Tyler Ulis
Aaron Harrison
Tyler Herro
PJ Washington
Bam Adebayo
$1 Guys
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
I. Quickley
Kevin Knox
P. Patterson
Nick Richards
My picks:
PG SGA
SG Monk
SF Booker
PF Patterson
C AD
They'll be loose with the ball, but SGA and AD are great college-level defenders, and Patterson's not too far behind. Better, I might have an elite shooting team. And the length would be ridiculous.
Who you got?
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bourgeois Zee
Interesting game on KSR. You've got $15 and need a starting five from the following list:
$5 Guys
John Wall
Jamal Murray
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Karl-Anthony Towns
Anthony Davis
$4 Guys
Brandon Knight
Malik Monk
Devin Booker
Julius Randle
DeMarcus Cousins
$3 Guys
D'Aaron Fox
Doron Lamb
D. Miller
Terrence Jones
Willie Cauley-Stein
$2 Guys
Tyler Ulis
Aaron Harrison
Tyler Herro
PJ Washington
Bam Adebayo
$1 Guys
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
I. Quickley
Kevin Knox
P. Patterson
Nick Richards
My picks:
PG SGA
SG Monk
SF Booker
PF Patterson
C AD
They'll be loose with the ball, but SGA and AD are great college-level defenders, and Patterson's not too far behind. Better, I might have an elite shooting team. And the length would be ridiculous.
Who you got?
PG-Ulis (2)
SG-Lamb (3)
SF-Booker (4)
PF-Randle (4)
C-Adebayo (2)
Up front might be testing it, but Ulis as a $2 player is a great value and would probably be a $4-$5 on any other teams top PGs. Same with Adebayo.
Lamb and Booker are the two best shooters in the Cal era.
Could easily have swapped Knight for Ulis and Washington for Randle. Imagine having to guard Knight, Lamb, and Booker.
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
WVRed
Lamb and Booker are the two best shooters in the Cal era.
Okay, you talked me into it.
PG Ulis
SG Lamb
SF Booker
PF Patterson
C AD
Ulis was outstanding on the ball and would have help if he ever got beat. Wing defense would be non-existent, but I'm guessing they'd shoot better than their opposition even so. Patterson is an elite rebounder and finisher around the basket and an All-SEC First-Team Defense guy. AD is... AD.
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
To the surprise of nobody:
BREAKING: Ashton Hagans declares for the NBA Draft
https://kentuckysportsradio.com/bask...the-nba-draft/
Hope he likes the G-League.
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
WVRed
Same here. I just don't see him ever being much of an NBA player. Same for any of those guys on the 19-20 team. Maybe Maxey in time. Richards could be a good backup I suppose if he keeps working at being more consistent. But its rinse and repeat for the next season. Whenever that may be.
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cumberlandreds
Same here. I just don't see him ever being much of an NBA player.
Really like Richards as a backup/ second-division starting center in the WCS mold. As a floor, he's a second unit defender and rim-runner, but his upside is of a three-point shooter/ stretch five who can rebound.
Maxey may end up a better shooter at the next level, but he's probably a second-unit microwave guy. Ditto Quickley.
Hagans might be that guy too, but that's his ceiling.
All three are willing and capable defenders. That counts for something.
Montgomery, I have no clue.
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Maxey going pro, no surprise.
Keion Brooks Jr coming back as well. Going to be fighting for minutes with Isaiah Jackson and Lance Ware.
Matt Haarms is a possibility as a grad transfer. Thoughts?
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
WVRed
Matt Haarms is a possibility as a grad transfer. Thoughts?
7'3" true center.
Mobile and an exceptional defender at the rim.
Can shoot, but took a slight step back last season offensively. He struggled a bit in the Big 10 last year. Frankly, he hasn't shown much growth over his three year career. I'd love to have him just for the tools. As a "veteran," he'd be a great last line of defense and allow the Cats much more favorable matchups against just about anyone.
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
WVRed
Johnny Juzang enters the portal.
Was kinda surprised but it tells me Quickley and/or Maxey will be back. Surprised nobody from Kentucky has declared for the draft yet but you have to feel it’s coming.
Hopefully this ends Cal recruiting the west coast. First Jemarl Baker and now Juzang. Devin Askew reclassified but he looks to be one and done.
Still, a loaded recruiting class coming in. Should be interesting to see who comes back.
Juzang to UCLA. I think he may have been homesick more than anything.
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
As one leaves, another (two?) enter.
Davion Mintz, Creighton PG, transfers to UK. He'll likely split time with Devin Askew at the point. Known for good defense and a steady hand on the ball, he's a willing passer and streaky shooter.
Kentucky also apparently leads for Purdue grad transfer Matt Haarms. He's another very strong defender and can knock down the open three as well.
Should Kentucky add both, they're floor rises a great deal and their ceiling improves too. Haarm as a rim-protecting center is the kind of piece most squads just don't have. Surrounding him with bucket-getting wings (and a solid-shooting and rebounding stretch four like Brooks) provides Calipari with a squad who might not only compete for a title, but be favored to win one at the outset of the season.
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bourgeois Zee
As one leaves, another (two?) enter.
Davion Mintz, Creighton PG, transfers to UK. He'll likely split time with Devin Askew at the point. Known for good defense and a steady hand on the ball, he's a willing passer and streaky shooter.
Kentucky also apparently leads for Purdue grad transfer
Matt Haarms. He's another very strong defender and can knock down the open three as well.
Should Kentucky add both, they're floor rises a great deal and their ceiling improves too. Haarm as a rim-protecting center is the kind of piece most squads just don't have. Surrounding him with bucket-getting wings (and a solid-shooting and rebounding stretch four like Brooks) provides Calipari with a squad who might not only compete for a title, but be favored to win one at the outset of the season.
The only concerns I see with this team as it stands:
1. Inside scoring. Nick Richards is likely gone and even if they get Matt Haarms he’s more of a defensive player.
2. Perimeter shooting. Not sure how good BJ Boston and Terrence Clarke will be from the perimeter. It just seems like UK has had a major problem with streakiness from there in recent years with the exception of Quickley late last season.
Speaking of Quickley, he gone too.
Re: UK Basketball 2020-2021: ? Has Entered the Draft/Transfer Portal
Quote:
Originally Posted by
WVRed
1. Inside scoring. Nick Richards is likely gone and even if they get Matt Haarms he’s more of a defensive player.
Maybe. I suspect, if EJ Montgomery stays, he's your inside scoring threat, such as it is. If not, Brooks can post his man pretty easily. So can Boston (whose length is ridiculous). Or Clarke (whose hops are even more so). I'd prefer, however, that Calipari just go to a five-out offense with no discernible post player. Five guys rotate. Five guys push the ball. Five guys run like Hades. I love that style, and he may be pushed to do that with this squad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
WVRed
2. Perimeter shooting. Not sure how good BJ Boston and Terrence Clarke will be from the perimeter. It just seems like UK has had a major problem with streakiness from there in recent years with the exception of Quickley late last season.
As always, perimeter shooting is a concern. You just don't know how young people are going to react to the college game. That said, Mintz is a capable shooter (35% from deep). Dontiae Allen could absolutely fill it up from 30 feet in in high school. He's been practicing for a season at UK and should have a (much) better idea of how fast the college game really is. Brooks has good range from deep at the stretch four. If Haarm or Montgomery come back, Kentucky could have above average shooters already at three or four spots.