Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
No player exemplifies the Kentucky Effect gone right better than Eric Bledsoe. While guys like Daniel Orton, Josh Harrellson and DeAndre Liggins also benefited from better draft positions than they might have received if they had played anywhere other than Kentucky, Bledsoe has stepped in a made a huge impact for his NBA franchise. Last night for the Clippers in a crucial close out game six, Bledsoe had 14 point, six assists and four rebounds. While the Clips would lose by two to the team from Memphis and fall into a game seven they didn’t want to play, the blame can’t be put on the broad shoulders of Eric Bledsoe.
Think for a minute that this was our backup point guard in 2009-2010. Bledsoe played out of position his one year in Lexington so John Calipari could get him on the floor as much as possible. Now Clippers fans are calling him the ‘X-factor’ and with Chris Paul in limbo regarding the severity of his hip issue, Bledsoe may be called upon to provide a spark, similar to what he brought last night, when the team goes to Memphis.
Of all the players from john Calipari’s first illustrious recruiting class, Bledsoe is having the most success upon the professional stage. Most of that can be attributed to the fact that he landed with a better team than any of his running mates, but his play has still been noteworthy. If there’s a recruiting tool better than Bledsoe, I’ve yet to see it. Not many coaches can tell kids to come to a school where they’ll be the second best in your position, in your recruiting class and I’ll get you out in one year to a team that’s competing for NBA championships.
He is the consummate example of the ‘Kentucky Effect’ and the boy just keeps getting s#!t right.
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May 12th, 2012 at 1:07 pm
I love some Bledsoe but saying he is having the most success of any of that first recruiting class is crazy. His team will make it further than the rest sure but being sent to the D-league for a while and rarely seeing minutes until these playoffs with chris paul’s injury isn’t near the sucess that Cousins has with his numbers. Jared Lorenzen has a super bowl ring but would we call him the most successful UK football player. I doubt it
May 12th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
You need to understand the way that you’ve worded this is misleading, Mr. Hays. John Wall and Demarcus Cousins are both much more successful in what matters to NBA players (playing time, pay, and stats). So I guess Daniel Orton, Deandre Liggins, and Josh Harrellson are more successful than Wall, Cousins, Knight, and Patterson because they made it to better teams where they ride the bench in the playoffs and only come out when a starter is injured? WOW. WOW. WOW.
May 12th, 2012 at 1:19 pm
“Bledsoe is having the most success upon the professional stage.”
Who hired you?
May 12th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
Cousins is by far having more “career earning potential” success.
And Wall still makes more money than all of them (being the 1st pick).
So Matthew, that narrows down the time frame of your statement, “Bledsoe is having the most success upon the professional stage” to “Last Night”
Love Bledsoe, but also appreciate reality.
May 12th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Professionalism isn’t the goal, it’s the standard. Perfection is the goal (which will never be reached).
You’ve got a long way to go son. Now go fix me my chicken pot pie.
May 12th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Who you calling boy???
May 12th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
C’mon man! Cousins & Wall are both enjoying more success than Bledsoe! They are THE players for their respective franchises. That being said Bledsoe was certainly a huge spark off the bench last night.
May 12th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
You were doing fine until you stated that Bledsoe is having the most success of any from that class. He may be having the most success in the NBA playoffs, because he is the only guy from that group in the playoffs…otherwise, no one buys that statement. Cousins is clearly experiencing the most success on the professional stage of the 3.
May 12th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
8. should read “of the 5″
May 12th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
He wasn’t the “backup point guard”, he was a starting 2 guard who moved over to the point when Wall was out.
But anyway, congrats to Bledsoe for having a big game.
May 12th, 2012 at 1:44 pm
Bledsoe is playing really well. He’s not having a better career than Boogie or Wall though. Those acting like he was a scrub until the playoffs are flat out wrong. He plays well whenever he gets in. It’s just tougher to get time when the Clippers have Chris Paul and like 3 other veteran points on the bench. He will be hard to keep off the floor in the future.
May 12th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
stopped reading after I read “Bledsoe is having the most success upon the professional stage.” Cousins averages a double double. Not even close
May 12th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
If you haven’t seen it already, you’ll want to watch this new video of Ryan Harrow. He’s obviously been doing work…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nPKktC6ud0Y
May 12th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Looks like I’m not the first to note this, but Bledsoe’s success in no way is more than Wall’s or Cousins’ success. Cousins is on the Olympic practice squad and one of the 5-10 best big men in the league. Wall has not succeeded like we expected, but he is on the fringe of qualifying for an all-star game if he gets some better teammates and cuts down on his turnovers. Bledsoe doesn’t even start. End of story.
May 12th, 2012 at 2:02 pm
How come Cousins and Walls teams both suck? If they were any good, their teams wouldnt be terrible.
May 12th, 2012 at 2:07 pm
10 >moved over to point when Wall was out
yeah. that would still make him the back up point guard, regardless of whether he started at another position.
May 12th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
15) You obviously know nothing about the NBA if you think Wall and Cousins should make those abysmal teams better by themselves.
“How come Cousins and Walls teams both suck? If they were any good, their teams wouldnt be terrible.”
So explain to me how there were years when superstars like Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash, Vince Carter, the old Tracy McGrady, and plenty of others all experienced playoff woes when they were each phenomenal players?
ONE PLAYER DOES NOT MAKE A TEAM. People really need to give Wall credit. All of you so called “fans” loved every second of it when he was here doing the dance, but now he’s in the NBA and you can’t cut some slack or show support? Screw you.
May 12th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
-*-*-must delete all relevant comments-*-*-
May 12th, 2012 at 2:24 pm
Who would have ever guessed in a million years that the “better team” would be the Los Angeles Clippers?
May 12th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
17 chill out dude. I have never heard anything but support for Wall from our fans. If my memory serves me well “But Seriously” is an IU or UL fan anyway.
May 12th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
17) calm down 15) is clearly a troll
May 12th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Bledsoe is one that so far is getting it done in the Playoffs, great job.
May 12th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Not so fast my friend. The most success of his class? What are you smoking? Ever herd of John Wall and Boogie? Despite the over exuberant statement- great job Eric and nothing but the best for you.
May 12th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
#9 – He stated of Cal’s first illustrious recruiting class. Patterson was not in the recruiting class, and while Orton was in the recruiting class, I don’t consider him as Cal’s recruiting get and frankly don’t care about him all that much. I was referring to the 3 Cal recruits that were in the league from that season.
May 12th, 2012 at 5:15 pm
I’m glad to see Eric playing well and getting some minutes. I’m a big Bledsoe fan – I even sent some emails to KSR after his role in the Game 1 comeback.
May 12th, 2012 at 6:23 pm
My Daddy on Earth is by far the most successful player from that draft class. I piss on you from Puppy Heaven.
May 12th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
While Bledsoe is doing well, Cousins is having by far the best pro career of any our recent players to go pro.