Hey, I think Duke has had some successful big men but thats not the rep. We lost more than a few dudes due to that rep. I'm not sure how it started but I do think, as RF mentions above that there was a story that Cal wanted Billy G's players gone (save PP) there were rumors about Wiltjer being forced out, there are rumors about Poythress. Again, I'm not saying its true, but there are those that believe Cal will recruit over his problem players, and he boots em out if they don't shape up. If you think your son may not be a 100% Cal guy, Self seems like a better option. Eh, who knows.Yeah, I've heard that also, but I just don't get where that comes from. Transfers all over the place in college bball, but when it's at UK it's somehow a special case. I mean I'm not in Calipari's head so I can't say for a fact that he's never truly wanted someone to leave, but I just don't see it anymore than at other schools.
Wiltjer was a terrible fit in Calipari's offense and struggled constantly on defense since Calipari never plays zone. He's now gone to a school that fits his game better, playing with kids he knows from the Canadian national team close to home. To me it seems like he put himself in a better situation on a team that's a better fit for him than UK. I have a hard time believing it was because Cal didn't want him.
(I know I am fairly biased here as a UK fan :lol but just sayin' what I see)
Duke basketball visited West Point yesterday
We got straps too PJ, we comin'Originally Posted by Grover Cleveland
Duke basketball visited West Point yesterday
Honestly I don't know what to make of that picture. I read one comment where each Duke player took two shots and stopped so theyd get used to leaving after the second round. We normally get bounced in the sweet 16 but that was still pretty funny
The TDD thread turned into a political dumpster fire.
Gottlieb has UNC at 5?
UK and KU at 7 and 9?
You know how them dudes in Durham get down, ask PJ.Originally Posted by DominoKid
josh hairston in the cut that's a scary sight?
"From what I'm hearing, (Adidas) is really high on him," an industry source said. "I've heard a range for sure, from like $140 to $180 million for like 10 years. That's a big deal for a kid coming out of school because most rookie deals are probably like four years."
"I'm hearing from people at Kansas that he's got a $180 million offer supposedly coming from Adidas," a source close to Wiggins' inner circle said. "But I also heard that Nike is going to match anything."
I can't lie, I respect their grind. Those dudes work 24/7 to try and destroy UNC
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaab/polls/
1 Kentucky (16) 0-0 767
2 Michigan State (3) 0-0 749
3 Louisville (10) 0-0 741
4 Duke (3) 0-0 710
5 Arizona 0-0 637
6 Kansas 0-0 623
7 Syracuse 0-0 551
8 Florida 0-0 550
9 Michigan 0-0 548
10 Ohio State 0-0 533
11 North Carolina 0-0 494
12 Oklahoma State 0-0 462
13 Memphis 0-0 334
14 Gonzaga 0-0 270
15 Virginia Commonwealth 0-0 258
16 Wichita State 0-0 233
17 Marquette 0-0 230
18 Oregon 0-0 175
19 Connecticut 0-0 167
20 New Mexico 0-0 153
21 Wisconsin 0-0 148
22 Notre Dame 0-0 128
23 UCLA 0-0 121
24 Indiana 0-0 118
25 Virginia 0-0 103
Also a bunch of quality 2015 and '16 recruits, though I haven't seen an up to date list for them.
Got to see this live.
Really happy with what I saw at Countdown. This team will be REALLY fun to watch this year.
It might just be the fade, but I caught a vibe of a young Grant Hill.Originally Posted by Grover Cleveland
Jabari a beast
Got to see this live.
Really happy with what I saw at Countdown. This team will be REALLY fun to watch this year.
Nice of Hairston (preseason POTY) to make it into the poster, too.
tOSU should be top 5Originally Posted by Grover Cleveland
First Coaches Poll
1 Kentucky (16) 0-0 767
2 Michigan State (3) 0-0 749
3 Louisville (10) 0-0 741
4 Duke (3) 0-0 710
5 Arizona 0-0 637
6 Kansas 0-0 623
7 Syracuse 0-0 551
8 Florida 0-0 550
9 Michigan 0-0 548
10 Ohio State 0-0 533
11 North Carolina 0-0 494
12 Oklahoma State 0-0 462
13 Memphis 0-0 334
14 Gonzaga 0-0 270
15 Virginia Commonwealth 0-0 258
16 Wichita State 0-0 233
17 Marquette 0-0 230
18 Oregon 0-0 175
19 Connecticut 0-0 167
20 New Mexico 0-0 153
21 Wisconsin 0-0 148
22 Notre Dame 0-0 128
23 UCLA 0-0 121
24 Indiana 0-0 118
25 Virginia 0-0 103
Jay Williams is right man, I remember watching the McDonald's All-American dunk contest and thinking that Jabari looked really athletic. I think he's a bit underrated in that department.Originally Posted by Grover Cleveland
Jabari a beast
Got to see this live.
Really happy with what I saw at Countdown. This team will be REALLY fun to watch this year.
Anyways, Stanley Johnson seemed to enjoy BBM. Also, he tweeted Lebron James afterwards "@KingJames where should I go to college I need help??"
You know what to do Stanley...
Man, we're really jumping without a net this year :lol if this team ends up bad or even just okay it's going to be a colossal letdown given all the expectations.
Exciting year, but also a tad nerve wracking. The ghost of Robert Morris still lingers.
I don't think there's any way this team ends up bad. Last year was a bit of an aberration. A thin team with no point guard loses their best player halfway through the season, you aren't going to have a great year. This years team is anything but thin, there is too much depth for something like last year to happen. If things aren't going well for a player like happened with Alex and Archie for stretches last year, they just won't play until they figure it out. If someone goes down again this year, we have backups at every position. Lastly and most importantly, we should have some actual leadership from the PG position this year.NBA scout line at UK's practice:
Man, we're really jumping without a net this year :lol if this team ends up bad or even just okay it's going to be a colossal letdown given all the expectations.
Exciting year, but also a tad nerve wracking. The ghost of Robert Morris still lingers.
After watching BBM, Randle seems unguardable at his level of play, but it's hard to tell with the all star game caliber defense being played.. I was also impressed with Dakari Johnson. He seems to have gotten in much better shape and it looked like it really improved his athleticism. He was running the floor well and keeping up with the action, which he is going to need to be able to do if he wants to see much playing time.. Part of me wants to see some high/low with Randle and Dakari. What team in the nation has the personnel to guard those two in the paint?
Yeah, I think you're right. Just a bit nervous lol.Originally Posted by iamblades
I don't think there's any way this team ends up bad. Last year was a bit of an aberration. A thin team with no point guard loses their best player halfway through the season, you aren't going to have a great year. This years team is anything but thin, there is too much depth for something like last year to happen. If things aren't going well for a player like happened with Alex and Archie for stretches last year, they just won't play until they figure it out. If someone goes down again this year, we have backups at every position. Lastly and most importantly, we should have some actual leadership from the PG position this year.
I'm just interested in what our starting lineup will be. Most people have said Poythress will start at the 3 over James Young, but NBA scouts are saying that Young looks like one of the best players in the country right now, so we'll see.
I still think Cauley-Stein starts at the 5 just because of his athleticism and the fact that we won't need much offense from him with the other guys on the roster, but I can see four freshmen starting next to him.
And I agree about Dakari. Jay Bilas said that as well after watching some UK practices. That he's much more explosive and running the floor better. Can finish above the rim now instead of just always laying it in.
Well Young is a 2, not a 3 at the next level, but I imagine he could guard most college 3's with no problem. I'd imagine it's mostly irrelevant aside from potential ego issues, as I expect the top 7 to all get starter's minutes, it doesn't really matter who comes off the bench.Yeah, I think you're right. Just a bit nervous lol.
I'm just interested in what our starting lineup will be. Most people have said Poythress will start at the 3 over James Young, but NBA scouts are saying that Young looks like one of the best players in the country right now, so we'll see.
I still think Cauley-Stein starts at the 5 just because of his athleticism and the fact that we won't need much offense from him with the other guys on the roster, but I can see four freshmen starting next to him.
And I agree about Dakari. Jay Bilas said that as well after watching some UK practices. That he's much more explosive and running the floor better. Can finish above the rim now instead of just always laying it in.
I'd say the ideal starting lineup if you are just looking at the pieces would be Andrew Harrison, Young, Poythress, Randle and either WCS or Johnson depending on offense or defense or what style of play the game is. Have Aaron come off the bench at the 1 and 2, and between the three of them they take all 80 minutes at the guard spots basically, so they all get starters minutes. Then you can play Randle at the 3 a bunch and go bigger in the front court. I imagine a lineup of Andrew, Young, Randle, Marcus Lee and WCS would be our best defensive lineup.
Between the point guard spot and the two wings there is basically 30 MPG for all of them though, so that's not really a concern aside from ego management and which lineups work best together.
Having Young come off the bench as instant offense is not a bad idea either, if you can get him to buy into the role. He is probably the best pure scorer on the team as far as being able to create and finish on his own, and putting him up against the opposing team's backup wings would just be unfair. :P
It's going to be really interesting to see if this is consistently called this year and how the college game adjusts.
Hopefully this will be the end of boreball. I expect a lot of Dickie V whining about how the NCAA needs to go to a 6 foul limit.
If it's a handcheck, it's a handcheck no matter where it happens. Those handchecks and bumps 20 ft out(or more) give defenses time to react and close down driving lanes, its every bit as much an illegally gained advantage for the defense as it would be closer to the basket.As long as I'm not seeing handchecks called 20 feet away from the basket on a semi-consistent basis. There are already plenty of games every year that the refs ruin by calling every little handcheck. Free throw shootouts aren't fun. The less intrusion from the refs, the better. The only thing that needed real work was the awful charge vs block call. They just need to focus on consistency the most honestly, you see some absolutely terrible officiating at the college level do to inconsistency.
That whole 'don't call it unless it really matters' bullshit is how we got to this point to begin with.
Call it consistently, the players will adapt, as long as the calls are consistent, it is not the refs intruding, it is the players fouling too much. We may actually end up with less of those freethrow shootouts late in the season if the refs would call a tighter less physical game consistently all year round.
But all of this depends on having decent referees who are consistent. Something easier said than done these last few years in college bball I'm afraid.
well, I do agree that inconsistency is the root of the problem. You're preaching some perfect world scenario though. I don't really see much changing so with the current game I don't want to see every little thing called. It makes for some awful basketball.Originally Posted by iamblades
If it's a handcheck, it's a handcheck no matter where it happens. Those handchecks and bumps 20 ft out(or more) give defenses time to react and close down driving lanes, its every bit as much an illegally gained advantage for the defense as it would be closer to the basket.
That whole 'don't call it unless it really matters' bullshit is how we got to this point to begin with.
Call it consistently, the players will adapt, as long as the calls are consistent, it is not the refs intruding, it is the players fouling too much. We may actually end up with less of those freethrow shootouts late in the season if the refs would call a tighter less physical game consistently all year round.
Sure it will hurt teams that like to press on defense (i.e. Louisville and Duke) at least initially. But overall, the idea of freedom of movement will be a good change for college basketball.
It also makes for some great games. The IU UK game in the tournament 2 years ago was called ridiculously tightly for modern standards and was one of the best games in recent memory.well, I do agree that inconsistency is the root of the problem. You're preaching some perfect world scenario though. I don't really see much changing so with the current game I don't want to see every little thing called. It makes for some awful basketball.
Once players adapt to playing under the rules being called consistently for a whole season, the games should get even better, if only because two of the best players wouldn't have been on the bench the majority of the first half.
It'll be the last official for Tyus and Jah, who visited Kansas together last weekend.
In other news, Kevon Looney just scheduled an official for next weekend.
It's been said we are a sleeping giant one great coach away from entering that elite tier due to our proximity to the most fertile of recruiting grounds.
We thought we had that with Bill Self but he understandably bailed for a blueblood program.
I only hope we can prevent Groce from doing the same.
lol, we ain't getting none of them.Originally Posted by Grover Cleveland
Tyus Jones, Justice Winslow, and Jahlil Okafor are all visiting Duke this weekend for what's being called "the biggest weekend in Duke recruiting history"
It'll be the last official for Tyus and Jah, who visited Kansas together last weekend.
In other news, Kevon Looney just scheduled an official for next weekend.
There's a high probability somebody's gonna host a racist Halloween party.
As far as the recruits this weekend, everyone says Tyus is a Duke lock, Winslow is down to Duke and Arizona and who really knows with Okafor. Missing on Okafor the recruit will hurt Duke's reputation more than missing on Okafor the player. Can't be helped though.
There's a chance Duke misses on Okafor?THat Semi dunk is ridiculous, he's going to play the the role of little used freshman that all Duke marks will complain about not getting enough pt and worry about transferring.
As far as the recruits this weekend, everyone says Tyus is a Duke lock, Winslow is down to Duke and Arizona and who really knows with Okafor. Missing on Okafor the recruit will hurt Duke's reputation more than missing on Okafor the player. Can't be helped though.
Yeah, but they seem really set on the packaged deal thing. I guess we'll see.Duke has struck out on every 1st choice big man target other than Mason Plumlee so there will always be reasons to be concerned, especially since KU is hot on the trail.
KU could land some huge big man recruits in Okafor, Myles Turner and Cliff Alexander, but they could also miss out on all three. Seeing some Texas momentum for Turner in the media, Illinois for Alexander and obviously Duke is there for Okafor. Should be interesting down the stretch here.
Anyways, I'm really hoping UK gets a shooting guard commitment in the near future. Either Devin Booker or James Blackmon. Even though I'm feeling pessimistic about this class and won't be surprised if we miss out on both :lol
If they're actually serious about the package deal thing, they'll both play for Duke.Duke has struck out on every 1st choice big man target other than Mason Plumlee so there will always be reasons to be concerned, especially since KU is hot on the trail.
The best news for Duke is that this is their last official and they both want to make their decisions pretty soon after this weekend. Meaning less time for Self or someone like Cal to make a last-minute play.
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