Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
I couldn’t find a screenshot of that irritating UK vs UNC scoreboard that ESPN kept showing last night, so we’ll just have to look at this picture again.
For just a minute, let’s set aside the fact that UK beat UNC in what was possibly the best college basketball game of last season. Forget that UK ended up winning the national title, while UNC bowed out in the Elite Eight. Try not to compare UK’s incoming top-ranked recruiting class to UNC’s eighth ranked. Instead, let’s look at last night as the singular focus of competition: which school had a better showing at the NBA draft last night?
The Case for UNC
UNC’s claim to this made-up competition is simple: four players in the top seventeen picks, three of which were lottery picks. Harrison Barnes at 7, Kendall Marshall at 13, John Henson at 14, and Tyler Zeller at 17. That’s a high concentration of UNC players within ten picks, and Roy Williams looked pretty smug holding four flat bills in his hands. All four started for UNC this season. Without a freshman representative, the argument can be made that Barnes and Marshall made the right call to return for their sophomore seasons and increase their draft stock, while Tyler Zeller stayed all four years and as a reward gets to go to… Cleveland (couldn’t resist). And let’s be honest- for a second, when that stupid scoreboard said “UK 2, UNC 4,” BBN’s hearts sunk a little bit under our unfulfilled expectations that Jones or Teague would have gone already.
The Case for UK
The first one-two punch in NBA draft history. Not much more needs to be said than that, but let’s go on just for fun. So UNC had four picks of the top seventeen? That’s nice. UK had three of the top eighteen, which isn’t much different at all (and let’s not forget the 2010 NBA draft when UK had four players in the top eighteen). UK had two of the lottery picks and four total in the first round to match UNC. Our total of six players drafter was the highest in the history of the two-round NBA draft format. 6 > 4.
But most importantly, Coach Cal saw all of his “guys” get drafted. This time last year, you probably could have guessed that those four UNC players would go in the draft. You wouldn’t have said the same about Darius Miller and Marquis Teague. Under Cal, Kentucky has proven just how far a player with potential can come with the right guidance, the right supporting cast, and the right mindset when approaching a professional career. From a freak-of-nature who came out of nowhere to dominate college basketball to a homegrown Kentucky boy who weathered the program through the best and worst of times, there’s no top-six rotation player Cal isn’t capable of sending to the NBA.
It’s not even close. Kentucky beat UNC in this ESPN-created “competition” by a landslide. But let’s not forget who the real losers are- Louisville and Indiana, where were y’all on my Twitter feed last night?
Anyone want to come visit for the Bulls-Hornets game? @KristenGeilKSR.
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Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
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June 29th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
“Let’s not forget who the real losers are, Louisville and Indiana” ahahahahahaha. What’s that sound I hear at work?? UofL and IU fans..? *Silence*
June 29th, 2012 at 9:48 pm
I’m a huge UK fan, but IU will have 2-3 first rounders next year and it’s possible UL could too. Let’s not talk trash and look stupid later.
June 29th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
UNC deserves some props, but I think UK had a better showing. Picks 1 & 2, plus six total. And for the guys picked in the 1st round, UK averaged a selection of 12.5 and UNC was 12.75. So UK had a slightly better average for being selected sooner.
June 29th, 2012 at 9:53 pm
This might not be a popular opinion but after the way IU fans acted at Assembly Hall last year, I think I might hate them more than Louisville fans, now. And that’s really saying a LOT.
June 29th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
I seen a tweet at tipton last night that said if you were to score the picks 30 to 1… UK total = 74, UNC = 73. (#1 = 30, #2 = 29 etc.)
June 29th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
It’s way harder to be a top 5 pick let alone a top 2 pick compared to being a top 15 pick. If you just count Davis, MKG and Jones, UK’s collection of three picks is more impressive than UNC’s four as a group. Adding three more UK draft picks to the equation. . . UK’s draft night utterly blew UNC’s out of the G*d d@mn ocean.
June 29th, 2012 at 10:07 pm
I score it like a cross country meet, The Cats had 1, 2, 18 and 29 = 50 Tarheels scored 51 therefore we win by 1 somewhat the same as # 5′s equation.
June 29th, 2012 at 10:09 pm
“But let’s not forget who the real losers are- Louisville and Indiana, where were y’all on my Twitter feed last night?”
June 29th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
Who won UNC or UK? Irrelevant.
UK 67 KU 59. That’s relevant.
June 29th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
There was some really good competition all around this year, but the UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY WILDCATS MEN’S BASKETBALL 2012 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS were the best of the best(pointblankperiod)!!!!!!!! Every NBA team that drafted one (or two) of these guys will not be sorry.
June 29th, 2012 at 10:36 pm
Actually, despite what Roy Williams told him, Harrison Barnes was projected as a Top 3-5 pick last year. This year he was picked 7th. Ergo, his stock dropped by returning.
And I don’t think anyone is worried about Indiana or UL’s draft picks next year. Whooooop-deeee-dooooooooooo
June 29th, 2012 at 10:37 pm
Cal should have held up 6 fingers
June 29th, 2012 at 10:51 pm
If you score UNC’s 4 and UK’s 4 in the first round like a cross country meet (where lowest score wins) then UK wins by 1.
June 29th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
Really glad I just repeated what #7 said. awesome.
June 29th, 2012 at 11:04 pm
There is no argument to be made that Barnes increased his draft stock by returning for his sophomore season,everyone knows he would have gone top 5 in last years draft.Where does Matt get these writers?
June 29th, 2012 at 11:16 pm
With 4 picks in top 20, how the hell did UNC lose to FSU by 33 points?
This is prior to injuries
June 29th, 2012 at 11:17 pm
The domination of UK at the very top of the draft made history. Two No 1 pciks in three years- no one has done that. No team in the modern era has had 6 players drafted. I think you also should consider the age of the UNC players- Zeller played 4 full seasons. Marshall has played two full seasons to one by Teague. Henson played 3 years and Barnes two. If the UK underclassmen had chosen to spend the extra time in college to refine their games, I believe it could have been far more impressive than it was.
June 29th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
Is Jerry Sandusky holding four fingers?
June 29th, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Factor in that it took ole Roy’s boys a combined 14 years of college basketball to get their level of play up to first round talent and it only took Cal’s youngsters 5 years of combined college experience is a big plus for Kentucky. Is this age of instant gratification telling a player you can have him ready for the NBA after 4 years is not a big selling point.
June 30th, 2012 at 1:19 am
i’d rather you shared tipton’s tweet about who won:
https://twitter.com/JerryTipton/status/218550627213643779
June 30th, 2012 at 1:20 am
ooops, wrong one:
https://twitter.com/JerryTipton/status/218530005049806849
June 30th, 2012 at 7:45 am
Brother! UK and NC are the elite programs but we are as hot as our weather! SO WHATCHA GOING TO DO !!!!!!!!!
June 30th, 2012 at 7:56 am
Tie?
UK 1+2+18+30=51
UNC 7+13+14+17=51
Tie Breaker=Miller and Lamb
June 30th, 2012 at 8:12 am
23) It wasn’t a tie. Teague was pick # 29, not 30.
June 30th, 2012 at 9:06 am
Bottom line is KY won The National Title with their draft picks and UNC did not.
June 30th, 2012 at 10:05 am
Terrence Jones will be a better NBA player than Harrison Barnes, point blank period. Barnes is as soft as a baby’s bottom. No matter what your natural ability is, you have to compete in the NBA. You can’t just stand around jacking up jump shots. I bet Jones would kick Barnes’s ass in a one on one game. Hanson will never be a starter….my sister can bench 180 lbs! There is no argument here. 6 > 4…The Cats were much better. Plus, Roy Williams looks like Huckleberry Hound!
June 30th, 2012 at 10:12 am
#2 I wouldn’t worry about UL and IU because UK will have at least three first rounders next year. Calipari while at UK has never had a starter not to be drafted.
June 30th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
No brainer 6 to 4 and most important NC. Nothing else to say
June 30th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
UNC- Sophomore, Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Kentucky- Freshman, Freshman, Sophomore, Freshman, Sophomore, Senior
Imagine if Calipari recruits would stay more than 1 or 2 years
Calipari is flat out better at getting guys to the NBA better than Roy Williams.
Roy Williams recruits:
Marvin Williams (Freshman)
Brandan Wright (Freshman)
Hansbrough(Senior)
Ty Lawson (Junior)
Ellington (Junior)
Danny Green (Senior)
Ed Davis (Sophomore)
Barnes (Sophomore)
Marshall (Sophomore)
Henson (Junior)
Zeller (Senior)
Compared to Calipari:
Wall (Freshman)
Cousins (Freshman)
Orton (Freshman)
Kanter (nothing-Freshman)
Knight (Freshman)
Jones (Sophomore)
Lamb (Sophomore)
Teague (Freshman)
Kidd-Gilchrist (Freshman)
Anthony Davis (Freshman)
Calapari 3 years – 10 in the NBA
Williams 9 years – 11 in the NBA
If 1 point is for a Freshman to 4 for a senior. UK would get a score of.
UK 12 points
UNC 35 points
It takes UK players an average of 1.2 years to get to the NBA (Being that they make it)
At UNC it takes 3.1818 Years
To recruits… Any questions?
June 30th, 2012 at 8:08 pm
6 is definitely greater than 4…but just adding our top four vs. UNC’s top four picks and we still beat them! Isn’t this exciting people…Yes, I thought so. Not lets get on with this years class shall we?