Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
In an interview with the Herald-Leader, top 2014 post player Jahlil Okafor said that he’s “definitely” interested in Kentucky and plans to visit once his high school season is over. Okafor is considering Kentucky along with Louisville, North Carolina, Duke, Michigan State, Ohio State, Arizona, Georgetown, UCLA and others. But Kentucky’s success with post players has the Cats high on his list:
“Kentucky speaks for itself with all of the NBA players that they’ve produced,” Okafor said. “That’s my dream. That’s a school that could help me out with that. … It’s definitely an attraction for me.”
That’s nice and all, but it was Okafor’s comments about Louisville coach Rick Pitino that really stirred the pot. Okafor said that during a conversation with his father, Pitino said that he wants Okafor to come to Louisville…as a one-and-done player:
“He told my father he feels I’ll be a different big man,” Okafor said. “One-and-done is something he mentioned that I can do at any school. But he would like for me to do that at Louisville.
“If that was something I was interested in, he said that’s something I could do there.”
Pitino is a notorious critic of the one-and-done system, calling it a “six-month breeding ground for the pros.” What’s the saying, Rick? If you can’t beat ‘em…
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January 7th, 2013 at 6:06 pm
first
January 7th, 2013 at 6:09 pm
If you can’t beat them, abort them?
January 7th, 2013 at 6:11 pm
Hey, Pitino could craft him into a Derrick Character type. Maybe a Samardo. No, a Terrance Jennings…
January 7th, 2013 at 6:13 pm
He’ll be at UK.
January 7th, 2013 at 6:17 pm
UL only wishes it was UK.
We get 5 of top 10 for next year and they get none of top 25.
They SUCK !!
January 7th, 2013 at 6:23 pm
Rick has no idea what to do with or how to coach one & done players. He has also apparently forgotten how to coach kids with NBA talent, then again he has also apparently forgotten how to recruit kids with NBA future talent.
January 7th, 2013 at 6:23 pm
Pitino must be referring to one and done injured players. That’s what happens to players at UL. Usually one injury and their done with any chance of a high draft pick.
January 7th, 2013 at 6:24 pm
So I guess towns would just play the 4 and trey lyles would just have to look elsewhere
January 7th, 2013 at 6:25 pm
Also.. I like the part where he keeps talking about Discipline and Direction (just like how he had “discipline” that one lonely night at the restraunt after hours). That is definitely the “Direction” I would like my kid to be taken or headed down by this guy (Not).
I would also love to see a comparison of UK Basketball GPA over the last 3 years to that of UL. Is Ricky’s boy working that much harder and getting better GPAs than the UK players?
January 7th, 2013 at 6:27 pm
#8
Towns and Okafor could do a twin tower deal again (like this year). Lyles can play the 3 or 4. You would have Willis as a second year back up again.
Majority of next year team could go PRO after hanging number 10 in the rafters. So we could have plenty of room for all three guys (towns, Okafor, and Lyles) down low.
January 7th, 2013 at 6:34 pm
1 and done>15 seconds and done
January 7th, 2013 at 6:34 pm
Why no Lville trolls on this thread? Can’t have much to say about this one. Can’t trash the kid or his father because they want him. Pitino obviously wants to be more like Cal.
January 7th, 2013 at 6:37 pm
I know we rag on Pitino a lot, and I’m all for that. However, I’m very happy with how Kentucky is recruiting right now yet I’m still a huge critic of the one-and-done system! Does that make me a hypocrit? So be it. Cal has expressed his distaste for it as well, but it’s not his rule.
Basketball should definitely develop a system like baseball has. If a guy can go pro out of high school, let him. Look at Michael Jordan – he could have went pro out of high school based on the rules at that time, but he didn’t and ended up being arguably the best basketball player ever. If a guy decides to go to college to play basketball, it should be for three years so that programs have some sort of continuity to work with. That’s the college basketball system I’d love to see in place, even with all the success Calipari has had. However, if the one-and-done rule is in place, I’m perfectly alright with Calipari exploiting it to bring the best and brightest stars to Lexington. In that sense, I suppose I’m as much as hypocrit as Rick Pitino is, no matter how inaccurate some of his other comments are (such as guys not going to class the second semester).
January 7th, 2013 at 6:38 pm
You go to UL if you want spend 4 years perfecting matchup zone defense. That’s the only thing they teach. Every other part of your game will go downhill.
January 7th, 2013 at 6:43 pm
He can come to UL as “one-and-done” player, but he ain’t leaving as a “one-and-done” player. RP will get him on campus and confound and confuse him like he does all his players; then convince him he’s not ready – needs to get stronger, needs to develop a better jumpshot, etc… He’ll think of some nonsense to try and convince the poor kid of just so he can keep him around for at least 3 yrs. RP is a liar, pure and simple.
January 7th, 2013 at 6:45 pm
15 – you forgot ‘and transfer to Bellarmine.’ lol
January 7th, 2013 at 6:46 pm
If none of the one and dones were going to class the GPR of their schools would have them on probation (like UCONN). Pitino is flat lying which is in character for him. He knows that they attend class- if they didn’t care about education then why would they come back for summer school as many have. He’s jealous because when Pitino gets a good player he turns them into an average player who ends up in the D-League. Just look at his record of failing to develop NBA players during his time in Loserville.
January 7th, 2013 at 7:01 pm
He(Pitino) is also using the same recruiting strategy that all other schools who compete against KY for players are adopting. Since Cal has established UK as “the place” for the aspiring pro other schools have to counter that anyway they can.
January 7th, 2013 at 7:20 pm
you lose just about all credibility when you utter “do what baseball does”.
the baseball rule is for PITCHERS. so the coaches have time re-teach mechanics, build arm strength, etc.
the baseball rule has nothing to do with getting degrees, integrity, etc.
it’s mlb gms
A) weeding out which 18 year old phenoms will throw their arm out in a year/can handle big IPs
B) developing pitching strength & routines without having to pay them
MLB signs kids when they’re 16-18 years old outside of US so lets not act like they care about degrees/education
January 7th, 2013 at 9:04 pm
Not sure what Tyler’s deal is with Rick. Did he put his dong inside that big overbite of yours?
January 8th, 2013 at 6:56 am
Gee, I wonder where all the trolls are on this thread. I guess the truth hurts, and silences…
January 8th, 2013 at 10:23 am
Rick is spot on with these comments. I don’t agree with that the players don’t go to the second semester. I know they did go to class here at UK.
January 8th, 2013 at 3:27 pm
“20.KY Realist Says:
January 7th, 2013 at 9:04 pm
Not sure what Tyler’s deal is with Rick. Did he put his dong inside that big overbite of yours?”
Kind of weird that your first thought of Pitino is about his peen. But then again, you are a Loserville fan…
January 9th, 2013 at 10:30 am
I actually agree with him. I think kids should go to college for longer then a year. I think most fans would agree that the one and done rule needs to change and it would be better for college basketball. I agree with letting them go pro out of high school or making them stay atleast 2 years. I think 2 is ok. I cant stand Pitino or Louisville but he is right about college basketball being just a stepping stone to the NBA. Thats why you have guys like Patterson and Miller who will always be fan favorites. They stayed in college.