Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
Ok, maybe it is a little premature to be looking ahead to NEXT year’s basketball team, when this year’s team hasn’t won the national title yet, but somebody is gonna have to defend that title, and its comforting to know who that team might be. Now, it’s tough to say what the 2010-11 roster may look like, considering several players may leave school early, and UK only has 1 commitment for the incoming freshman class. But, for the sake of argument, I think some things can be safely assumed:
PLAYERS LEAVING/GRADUATING
John Wall (NBA)
Demarcus Cousins (NBA)
Patrick Patterson (NBA)
Ramon Harris (Graduating)
Perry Stevenson (Graduating)
Mark Krebs (Graduating)
As much as we would give our first born children for Wall, Cousins, and/or Patterson to come back for just one more season, it’s just so unlikely to happen that there is no use even really discussing it. And considering the kind of year/careers those 3 guys have had, we should all wish them well on their path to becoming instant millionaires. Harris and Stevenson have had their share of ups and downs under 3 coaches now, and if the Cats were to make it to a Final Four, I would be happiest for those 2 guys because of the hardships/struggles they have endured.
PLAYERS UP IN THE AIR
Eric Bledsoe
I personally thing Bledsoe will be back for another season at UK. You would assume scouts do as much homework as possible for guys they might draft, and if you watch Bledsoe, you come to several conclusions: incredible athleticism for his size or any size for that matter, a very nice outside jump shot, and a tendency to struggle in the lane with turnovers. And if I was Bledsoe, I would add into the equation that if he comes back next year, he would be THE GO-TO GUY on the team. He would be an All-American candidate, and polish the skills just a little more before becoming a millionaire himself. I look at him like the Ron Mercer of this team in that the talent is undeniable and amazing to watch. There are just a couple rough edges that a guy like Calipari can smooth out.
RETURNING PLAYERS
Darius Miller
Daniel Orton
Deandre Liggins
Darnell Dodson
Jon Hood
Josh Harrelson
Miller, Orton, Liggins, and Dodson have all proven to be completely capable players this season. We have barely seen Hood this year, so who knows if he might contribute next year. Harrelson has also seen limited action this year, but there may be a lack of depth in the post next year, so Josh may get many more minutes. While there is nothing wrong with this group of 6 players, this is not a group that would be a Final Four contender on paper. But, if you add Bledsoe to the mix, they likely become a Top 15 team. Then, when you add in what everybody hopes will be another good recruiting class, you have the POTENTIAL for a very good team.
COMMITTMENTS
Stacey Poole
Poole comes in as a 4-star wing player, who should fit in very nicely in the Calipari system. He also has the advantage of having some solid players in front of him (Miller, Dodson, Liggins) that he can compete with and not have the pressure to contribute immediately. Now, where do that Cats go from here in the recruiting world? I would say a big man would be nice, to give a little depth to Orton and Harrelson. Also, Brandon Knight would obviously be a great get to pair with Bledsoe in much the same way that Wall and Bledsoe pair nicely this season.
OUTLOOK
Unless recruiting goes AMAZING over the next couple months, I think its safe to assume that next year’s team will likely go into the year with less expectations that this years team. The key to me is if Bledsoe comes back. If he decides to leave, I think this team takes a fairly large drop for a year, becoming a fringe Top 20 team with a tough challenge in the SEC. Bledsoe comes back, gives them a star in the backcourt, and big things can be hoped for again. You know that Coach Cal will bring in some other great players to go with Poole, but to expect any group of freshman to contribute like this year’s have is wishful thinking. It will likely not ever happen again at UK. At the same time, to have a team with smaller expectations might be a good thing for the players. Sometimes you can get the feel this team gets tight at times, and that no doubt has to do with fan pressure.
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February 7th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
You just don’t get that expert analysis anywhere else, thanks for the insight BTI.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
First, ps who gave BTI the keys to the site today?
February 7th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
good analysis, but yet another careless mistake: it should say
Mark Krebs(NBA). Please proof-read next time
February 7th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
2. thats what you get for saying first in the first place. Embarrassing
February 7th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Losing Patterson, the Alabama Hammer, and Stevenson is gonna leave us decimated inside. Orton can’t handle the inside with just Harrellson’s help.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Evan Turner had 32 points today. I think he is leading the player of the year race now. John Wall looked frustrated yesterday because his shot was not falling for him. I hope he can have a Super Star game soon.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
I disagree on the point that this years freshmen impact level will never be reached by another UK class. What about 2011, Gilchrist and Miller..possibly Teague. That class will have just as much impact on the team as this years freshmen class no doubt about it..and may have the better overall player in Gilchrist honestly. even next years class with Knight and Leslie,they will have to contribute on the level of this years class for us to be able to seriously compete, not to mention Doron Lamb. Freshmen year in and year out with have to contribute siginificantly for us to have any legitimate shot..just as much as this years freshmen class has.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Never say never in recruiting.
Signed,
2011 Class
February 7th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
BTI, you have really improved on the quality of your post. I’m being Serious. I have actually enjoyed reading them today.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
You failed to mention “TRANSFERS”
We could have transfers to leave our team for another team or vice versa. All I know is Coach Cal has only lost 15 games in the last 5 years total so I think we’ll be OK:)
February 7th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
I think Cal has a pretty good feel for this class. His patience with Knight, Leslie, Selby and/or Lamb will pay off. In Cal I trust.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
9 - Yeah, when BTI is sober, he does pretty well.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Wait for the spring we are gonna clean up in recruiting. Our dominoes are still standing and when they fall the Cats will reel in Knight and/or Selby in the backcourt. Our frontcourt will take a hit but Leslie is a very athletic 4 and Jones should be an impact player from the get-go. Never doubt Coach Cal’s recruiting.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Nobody is talking about Eloy Vargas. He is in Junior College this year but Cal & his staff really like this kid. He played at Florida for a year and visited Lexington this past summer.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
In my opinion the only guarantee to leave after this season,
besides the seniors, is Wall. Patterson may come back to show what
he can do out of the Wall’s spotlight, and someone may get in
Cousin’s ear and tell him how 1 more year would benefit his draft
status.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
If anyone is interested, Syracuse and Cincy game is on ESPN 360. 15-15 right now.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
where can i watch a replay of the UK lsu game? I missed it yesterday
February 7th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Great News is that nobody else will have a Wall, Cousins, or Patterson next season either
February 7th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
#15.) That won’t happen. UK fans are not used to 1-and Done talent, but we need to prepare ourselves because UK is going to be a pipeline to the NBA while Coach Cal is here. Embrace it though. With BIG talent comes titles.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
#15-Just keep putting those things under the pillow son and hold on to your dreams.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
My only disagreement with the author - I don’t think Miller has yet proven himself as “completely capable”. I believe him to be capable - but I haven’t yet seen it on anything close to a regular basis.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
I think a starting 5 of Bledsoe, Knight, Liggins, Leslie and Orton would be one of the best in the country if Cal is able to pull that off.
And I agree BTI that we shouldn’t ever have our hopes set so high that we expect to get another recruiting class like we did this year. There’s a reason it was called one of the best EVER, and its not like history has given us any reason to expect a class like that every year. Yes I think we can always get great players, but Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, Orton, Hood and Dodson. Hell, I know I’d be impressed if we ever got four 5 stars again.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Bledsoe, Knight, Dodson, Orton. That will be our main core along with Liggins, Orton, Leslie/Jones, Poole, and maybe Ross/Lamb. I don’t care what anybody says, that is an awesome lineup. And what people forget when they say we need a great big man is that cal runs the DRIBBLE DRIVE. He is not running that this year because of our frontcourt advantage. Next year, Cal will use the DDM much more, which minimizes the need for more than one dominant big man. Leslie/Jones are both perfect for this.
We will still have a very good team next year that will compete with Vandy for the SEC.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Bledson needs to come back. He needs to work on his turnovers and him and Knight will become a 45 points a night backcourt and he’ll be in the POY race. I think Liggins is gonna be a main factor next year as well. I mean, the guy guards the hell out of anybody, he has great hustle, and he’s knocking down the 3s! I think Dodson will remain a role player, but not Liggins. I’m afraid for the low post though. We need CJ Leslie and Orton has to be a little more aggressive offensively. But he can guard the rim as well as anybody else in the country.
Mark my words : Leslie and Knight commit, Bledsoe returns = another top 10 season and a chance to win it all.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
You can’t replace a talent like Wall every year, because they only come along once in every ten to fifteen years. BUT, Knight, Leslie, Lamb/Selby commit, we are still a top 5 team next year and competing on a national level.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
BTW, the world wide leader is reporting that UT’s Williams is reinstated this week, just in time for gameday on saturday. Not that it will do anything to stop our double-double machine.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Leslie wouldn’t start next year
February 7th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Inside game….
February 7th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
This write up is horrible. So many points that are just not true.
1. Patterson could very well comeback, he has been completely unselfish the entire time hes been here. What reason do we have to say he would stop that trend?
2. The freshman class of 2011 will contribute more then this years class hands down. If we land Gilchrist, Teague, and Miller you might as well get the banner ceremony ready. If we land Gilchrist, Miller, and any other star player to help you can probly just go ahead and get tickets to the final 4.
3. Getting Knight, Leslie, Jones, and Lamb with Poole would make us a contender next year.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
I don’t know why, but I check Coach Cal’s twitter every now and then to see how many followers he has and he seems to be losing followers for the first time. He had almost 1,118,000 followers and now it is dropping everyday. Still, that is alot of followers.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
I do believe bledsoe will come back. Orton will be a monster next year. Dodson is going to be great, and miller will be much improved.
Poole is going to be the suprise of the class imo. If you have watched him play you will know what I mean.
We end up with Knight, poole, leslie, and possibly lamb.
Leslie will be a dominant player next year. We will go deep in the tourney with the play of bledsoe, orton, and dodson. Plus the freshman impact of leslie, knight, and poole. If we land lamb he will be much like dodson this year.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
The chance for another great class is there, but people don’t realize we have the best 1-2 combo of freshman all-time in cuz and wall.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Are u really comparing Bledsoe to Ron Mercer??? Give me a break. Mercer averaged 20 pts a game as a freshman. I love this team but no way they r as good as the 96′ team.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
33) Actually, Mercer averaged 8PPG as a freshman. And then 18.1 PPG as a sophomore. But good effort nonetheless.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Cincy has Syracuse on the ropes! Smells like an upset brewing
February 7th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Rondo is the SHIT….
Sorry mods that had to be said.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Sorry i might have had that wrong but he was still way more versatile and a better shooter than Bledsoe is at this moment, and when Anderson went down in 97′ he carried us. I am just saying hold your horses when u start comparing Bledsoe to Mercer.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
People keep forgetting about the possibility of Terrence Jones from Portland. He would play the 4, Leslie is more of an athletic 3. There seems to be an even divide among who would contribute most among these two. I would love to land both guys.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Oh and by the way Ron Mercer had 20 pts in the Championship game. Hope Bledsoe does that!!1!
February 7th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
37) I am not comparing their games, I am simply saying I expect a HUGE breakout from Bledsoe if he comes back next year. Their games are not the same at all, I agree.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
#33 Just got epic burned by friggin BTI.
Put this guy on suicide watch!
February 7th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Bledsoe will get this team beat in the tourney…Cal is about ready to take his car keys away and give them to Liggins.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
I think TJ would be more of 3 and Leslie would be the 4. TJ is more versatile and CJ is more athletic but not the shoot/passer that TJ is. Both can certainly play multiple positions though.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
What’s up with that Ricardo ratliff guy? He seemed like a good athletic big man that was a juco transfer… Are we still looking at him?
February 7th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Remember that other teams are gonna take hits just like we are. I’m not worried.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
We will be set at the wing spot, that shouldn’t be a concern. If Bledsoe returns, we get Knight/Selby, and can tack on Lamb/Ross, we will also be loaded with quality guards. The big worry for me is our big men. As it stands now, we simply will not have the distinct size advantage next year that we have now. If all goes well with Orton’s development on offense he will be our go-to big man, but he and Jorts will be our only players taller than 6′10″. The two star quality bigs that we are recruiting, Leslie and Jones, are both 6′9″. Gorgui Sy Dieng, the Senegalese kid whom my spellcheck hates, has size but doesn’t seem to be an instant-impact type kid. It looks like we won’t be able to dominate inside next year like we have this year. Still, I think that if Cal can land both Jones and Leslie to combat our lack of depth inside, we can still be a conteder next year. A class of Poole, Knight, Leslie, and Jones, along with the return of Bledsoe, would certainly make for a top 10 team next year and adding anyone else would simply be icing on the cake.
February 7th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
I’m surprised so many people think we’re going to land Knight, Leslie, Jones, AND Lamb. It seems, at this point, that two out of those four is more realistic. Factor in Matt Jones’ source, who’s under the impression that we no longer lead for Knight, and next year’s class doesn’t seem so solid. This isn’t to breed pessimism or anything, but I’d just like to hear who REALLY thinks we’ll get all four of those guys, and why. (Try not to say, “Because we’ve got Cal!”)
February 7th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
41- u sound like some nerd clone from the Jim Rome show get a life dude. EPIC? lol
February 7th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Orton has to improve a lot before next season i think he can.
February 7th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
BTI just dinnered that guy hard.
“providingfalsestatisticssince1970″
February 7th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Wall, Cousins, and probably Patterson will be gone next year. Both Wall and Cousins are top 5 picks, there is absolutely no reason for Cousins to come back. Regardless of what some NBA insider said about Bledsoe maybe being a lottery pick next year, that won’t happen. Right now, he has too many holes in his game to compete at the next level. There’s a good chance he wouldn’t be a 1st rounder next year. He needs to come back, work on his game, and improve his NBA stock. It would be a huge mistake for him if he goes next year.
February 7th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
27-who would start over Leslie
February 7th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Well said–so let’s all relish this season!
February 7th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
30 - A large number of, if not most of, Cal’s followers are fake. They go through and clear fake accounts out and that is why his number is dropping. It is a very misleading number.