Calipari recruits; UofL odds

by ericdedwar on May 20, 2009 12:55 AM EDT Comment 36 comments

1) all the buzz today is about UK's landing of 4 5-star hoops stars including no.1 PG john wells. Let's assume Meeks and Patterson jump, which, if that happens, could potentially leave Calipari with 5 freshman starters. The last time we saw this sort of nonsense was Michigan's Fab Five. By the time you factor in the new coach, you are looking at possibly the most cleared table in NCAA history. What will UK do with this roster of young bucks and the new skipper? What is their ultimate upside?

2) Some oddsmakers have futures lines up for next year's NCAA championship. Not surprisingly Kansas is getting the best odds at 6-1. With UK's latest news they come in second as 10-1. BUT THE BIG SHOCKER is that in UofL checked in with the third best odds of cutting down the nets at 12-1. For reals!?! I figure we are probably a little worse off then we were last year. Which is to say, we're going to be good. We'll contend for a Big East title and we'll make a run in March. But am I missing something? Are we way better than I think we are?

Discuss.

Poll

In 2010, UK will top out with:

An SEC championship

40 votes

An NCAA first round flameout

38 votes

Advancing to the elite 8

167 votes

National Championship title!

44 votes

A 3 to 5 year stretch in Leavenworth

82 votes

371 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 36 comments

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Comments

Our biggest question mark is the 3.

We lost an amazing combo forward with Earl, that’s for sure, but a lot of people are putting faith into Buckles as a strong combo forward at the 3. We should be better at the 5 and the 4 with two five star players returning with that much more experience and practice. The 2 spot will only be better with the same cast as last year and the addition of what is considered a stellar shooter. And the 1 is going to be wide open with a senior point guard that has tons of potential and showed signs of recognizing that late last season with a backup freshman who was a McDonald’s All American and widely considered one of the best freshman point guards around.

The hope is that Siva can step up and fill in for T-Will on demand with his amazing athleticism and even greater sense of control and passing, and that Buckles can fill a void that Earl Clark left, and that you’re going to add these guys into a seasoned team with a lot of tournament experience. It’s really not that far fetched. Will it happen? I don’t know, but on paper, the chances should be just as high if not higher than last year’s, though I doubt that that is really the case.

by CARD_G6 on May 20, 2009 8:37 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wasn't T-Will our 3?

by sam34gtr on May 21, 2009 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes.

I’m not sure, but I guess you’re talking about my comparison of Buckles to Clark. This is the most valid comparison since Buckles is of the same vein as Clark, but Pitino has already said Buckles is going to play the 3 whereas Clark played the 4. That’s the question mark with the team…

Samuels and Jennings will be at the 5 and 4, though I’m still not 100% sure who’s going where for sure. Goode and Van Treese will be their backups. Subbing in for Buckles will be Kuric, Delk, and (possibly) Marra, which are all guards. So we’re going to have a natural 4 and two natural 2s playing at the 3 next year, which is why there’s the question mark there, despite the fact that all those players are talented.

by CARD_G6 on May 21, 2009 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You forgot about Swop

"You win some, You lose some but you never stop trying to do your best" Denny Crum

by DANCARD on May 21, 2009 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh... yeah... Swop.

Yeah, he’ll play somewhere.

by CARD_G6 on May 21, 2009 11:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not to be picking nits

I don’t like UK much but their PG recruit is John Wall not John Wells. And Patterson said last week that he is coming back next year. So as much as it pains me to say it, UK is going to be good next year. As far as how far can they go, who knows once you get to the Elite 8 anything can happen really (Obviously look what happened to us)

by JohnnyCards on May 20, 2009 8:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agree

…hate them all you want, but UK is going to be a real threat next year. They are stacked with top tier players and have a really really good coach. I honestly dont know who can stop them.

by kim0190210 on May 20, 2009 8:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I figured this would bring the UK trolls around

All I have to say to you is-a comparison to UK in 2009-2010? see Wake Forest this past season.

Cal has been loading up on talent for years down in Mempiss, all he could manage is 349578 CUSA titles, one NIT championship and ONE NC game appearance (with the #1 PG mind you). WHOHOO.

by twistedwedge on May 20, 2009 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Excuse Me - Not a troll

I just happen to think that it is unrealistic for people to think that UK is not going to be really good next year – that’s all. My opinion.

by kim0190210 on May 21, 2009 2:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

maybe..

but obviously a UK fan…and youre on a Cardinal site…

refresh my memory on what a troll is?

by twistedwedge on May 21, 2009 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

obviously a UK fan

I dont know if I would classify myself a “UK fan.” I mean, I dont hate them or anything, and I do think they will be very good next year, but I dont follow their every move or even own any UK attire – though I did when Ricky P was there. ;)

A friend introduced me to this site and I thought I would check it out and put my two cents in. I just really enjoy college hoops and like the state schools.

by kim0190210 on May 22, 2009 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

well my apologies then

if youre not a UK fan. Although highly improbable, UK fans need to keep expectations in check. The BCG saga only ended a short time ago, and the entire fanbase was crowing the exact same things when he was hired. Im just sayin…

by twistedwedge on May 22, 2009 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Since when is saying you would get to the Elite 8 disrespect?

UK will be good. So will UL. We’ll see who wins on the court.

by bartenpa on May 22, 2009 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agree

It should be a great game!

by kim0190210 on May 22, 2009 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

tru dat. poor fact checking

by ericdedwar on May 20, 2009 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Who can stop them??

They haven’t even picked up a ball yet FFS, every Kentucky fan on the planet is already predicting a blowout for every game and a National Championship automatically. They seem to forget that there are other college basketball teams that are pretty damn good in this country, and that not every game is going to be easy. I fucking hate people who assume that the title is theirs, that just shows ignorance and irresponsibility.

by ziptnf on May 20, 2009 10:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

While I don't share your enthusiasm...

I agree with your overall point.

With the exception of Patterson, these guys have proven absolutely nothing. Yes, they will have talent and a good coach, and I’m not saying they won’t be good, but let’s not crown them until we see them play. High school success does not always translate to college success, and until they get a few games under their belts, they have just as much of a chance of being mediocre as they do of being champions.

by CARD_G6 on May 20, 2009 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Add "if not more" to that last sentence.

by CARD_G6 on May 20, 2009 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wholeheartedly agree. This is exactly why I can’t stand UK. Their sense of entitlement for simply being UK.

by OrcaFat on May 20, 2009 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't ignore the talent

I’m not saying we’d go as far as guarantee a championship but I do believe that most Card fans would be spinning the same golden optimism if Coach P was bringing this plethora of 5-star talent into Red and White uniforms along with returning players like Patterson.

UK will be a good team, there’s no doubt about that. But just as irish says below, they will have to decide to put their egos aside and strive for the greater good a’la Pitino’s 1996 UK team. It can be done and whether you’re pumping or bashing either side of this debate, its simply impossible to ignore the amount of talent in the UK program.

Best of Luck to Cal and the gang—looking forward to the inevitable hype surrounding this December’s UL/UK game. Maybe the actual game will live up to it again this year…Here’s looking at you, Sosa.

by UL is my hot hot sex on May 21, 2009 8:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought that was the concept of Cal's DDR offense

Everyone gets to take turns being an egomaniac during the game, and Cal gets to be an egomaniac the rest of the time.

In all seriousness though, the Dribble Drive Replace concepts work well with selfish, egomaniacal players, because it turns basketball into a game more like baseball, where everyone gets an at-bat during the possession. It’s genius. I hate it, of course, because it encourages selfish, possessive play, but that’s the trend in HS/College/Pro basketball over the last 10 years, so it does make sense not to fight it, a la Pitino, but instead roll with the times.

by bartenpa on May 22, 2009 12:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm of the opinion

that this team will be solid early on, implode by February with players complaining about “touches”, and from there, the team has two roads: gel together and make a strong Final Four push; or keep arguing and bounce out in the 2nd round as a 2/3 seed.

by irish2705 on May 20, 2009 8:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Kentucky fans are idiots

there I said it

Go Cards!

by Red Rage on May 21, 2009 12:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Lordy... over 40+ yrs of watching college hoops, there is only one sure thing

there is no sure thing:

exhibit a— phi slamma jamma
exh b— running rebels under Tark the Shark
exh c— fab 5 class of freshman at Mich —who got paid big time to commit, mouthed off a lot, but won 0 champs
etc.

I’ve seen many teams proclaimed the “greatest teams ever assembled” in football and bball fail at crunch time (umm, New England Patriots, anyone?0

So, yes, UK will be good. But…we’ll see whether they will be great…
or just another of many (many!) proclamations from Lexington that they will soon conquer the known world

by frankpos on May 22, 2009 10:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i may only have half the experience in watching college sports as you

but even i have seen my fair share of and impossible happen. UNC has had recruiting classes like this and not won championships (they have also have classes like this and won). Same with Duke. You never know, thats why you play the game. Perhaps more so in college, it isnt about the talent on your roster, but the quality of the team (UL fans only have to look at our last game this past season when a less talented – but still very talented – Michigan St. team was the better team and sent us packing).

UK is going to be good and its understandable for their fan base to be very excited, but anything can happen and i cant wait for the games to begin again.

by Ben Go CARDS on May 22, 2009 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

When?

Did UNC or Duke have a recruiting class of this caliber? Please show me a link.

by kidbourbon on May 29, 2009 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe not of that caliber

but they routinely bring in 1 or 2 or more all americans, sometimes yearly. Recruiting ratings dont equal success. Some guys peak in high school, some guys peak in the pros. Some guys rating are based on potential that they never live up to. Recruiting rankings are like preseason polls, they give you an idea, but really, its about winning on the court, and high rankings dont assure anything

by Ben Go CARDS on May 29, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You act like those three teams are failures

I would disagree.

by kidbourbon on May 29, 2009 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

failures in that they didnt win championships

and especially with the Fab 5, failures in that the violated NCAA rules and had all their accomplishments voided.

by Ben Go CARDS on May 29, 2009 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would disagree with your disagree-ing

I bring up those teams—but could have posted a thousand more—

ballyhooed teams that ended up way short of winning…anything…. in some cases

UK’s team may be good. Has potential…and that is all. Congrats on having potential ~~- u had 0~~-so you’re improving !

by frankpos on May 29, 2009 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You assumed I was a UK fan

You assumed incorrectly.

by kidbourbon on Jun 18, 2009 1:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

To hell with UK, they had a big time recruiting class with Tubby, how did that turn out? Calipari has had top 3 classes @ Memphis in CUSA without L’Ville, Marquette, & Cincy, how did that turn out? They are like Alabama football fans stuck in the past.

by ville 606 on May 28, 2009 10:27 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They went to the national championship game in '08

So I think it turned out pretty well. Unless I’m missing something. Are final four’s now bad? Is that how it works now?

by kidbourbon on May 29, 2009 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought it turned out well too...?

I’ll take Final Fours over losses in the Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen any day.

by UL is my hot hot sex on May 29, 2009 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Final Fours are good

but I’m tired of these idiotic un-realistic UK fans

by ville 606 on Jun 6, 2009 1:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I would argue that we have the same % of these fans on our [UL] side too

…just as every team has, to some degree, especially in states like Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina, etc…where fan exuberance regarding college basketball exceeds that of all other sports or professional basketball teams in the same area.

But b/c UK, Indiana, UNC, Duke, etc…have exponentially more fans than UL, perhaps it seems that, by sheer numbers alone, more of them are of the idiotic/unrealistic ilk. Or maybe they’re just louder than UL fans…?

I’m not defending their fans but I am saying that we all have probably been unrealistically idiotic at times regarding our respective teams…and that’s what makes being a fan of college athletics so great.

Peace, love, arguments?

by UL is my hot hot sex on Jun 6, 2009 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs