RM Punches Kentucky Recruiting in the Gut

[dogpause]

RM did more than beat the Evil Empire, it punched a hole in Kentucky's recruiting. No 5-Star is going to risk playing behind someone ever again.

 

[uconnforlife]

RM did more than beat the Evil Empire, it punched a hole in Kentucky's recruiting. No 5-Star is going to risk playing behind someone ever again.

Well I don't know about that but it was certainly fun to watch.

 

[tzznandrew]

RM did more than beat the Evil Empire, it punched a hole in Kentucky's recruiting. No 5-Star is going to risk playing behind someone ever again.

??? What happened to make you say that? I mean, aside from a loss. I didn't see the game. Simply losing in the NIT isn't enough for that.

 

[mesman00]

RM did more than beat the Evil Empire, it punched a hole in Kentucky's recruiting. No 5-Star is going to risk playing behind someone ever again.

dont know about all that. i hate kentucky just as much as the next guy, but cmon. for next year they have the 5th, 6th, 7th, 11th, and 18th espn100 players so far. and are in the running for the number 3 kid who is announcing tomorrow. as long as calimari is there (and jay-z is hanging out in the locker room) they'll bring in the top guys. wether or not he can consistently win year after year with those young kids is yet to be seen. but if i were a kentucky fan i'd like my chances.

 

[huskyharry]

I really wish that the OP's premise comes true!
The current Kensucky frosh are in a bit of a pickle. Despite mock drafts that show Goodwin, Cauley-Stein & Poytress being lottery picks or close to it, they certainly don't look like it on the court & none look ready to contribute to an NBA roster. But, if they stay, they run the risk of being buried on the bench behind the next crop of WWW/Jaycee largess receivers & that wouldn't help they develop or their draft ability. Hopefully, this delimma will make the recruits who are in the fence rethink and take Kensucky off their list.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I really wish that the OP's premise comes true!
The current Kensucky frosh are in a bit of a pickle. Despite mock drafts that show Goodwin, Cauley-Stein & Poytress being lottery picks or close to it, they certainly don't look like it on the court & none look ready to contribute to an NBA roster. But, if they stay, they run the risk of being buried in the bench behind the next crop of WWW/Jaycee largess receivers & that wouldn't help they develop or their draft ability. Hopefully, this delimma will make the recruits who are in the fence rethink and take Kensucky off their list.

I don't see the pickle. You said it yourself, they've got a bunch of guys who are projected to go in the lottery. They probably will. I'm not sure why any of this would make any recruit take Kentucky off their list.

 

[jibsey]

We're lying in the ashes of a blown up conference and we get amped up by hating Kentucky? Yeah, Kenticky and Calipari are the reason that we are out in the cold. They'll never get recruits with this NIT loss. Wasn't it Pitt and Syracuse that blew this thing up? Pitt's president lied through his teeth. They are my evil empire and there is no close second including Duke.

 

[TRest]

The only thing that would impact UK's recruiting is if the checks bounced.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[uconnforlife]

Pretty much there whole team said they will return next season in the post game presser....not quite sure how they are gonna have enough scholarships for their incoming recruiting class next season.

 

[Fishy]

This won't hurt their recruiting.

But this is their business model now.

They're going to essentially bring in a brand new team every year or, at worst, every other year and they will either take off or blow up on the launch pad. It'll stop when they get tired of blowing up on the launch pad or when the NCAA rides into town and chasing Cal back to the NBA.

 

[storrsroars]

Fun game to watch and great for RMU.

Only thing that could've been better would've been if that were Duke instead of UK. Because K just loves that court storming stuff.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Pretty much there whole team said they will return next season in the post game presser....not quite sure how they are gonna have enough scholarships for their incoming recruiting class next season.

Give them a night to sleep on it and/or shop online for an Aston Martin.

 

[huskymedic]

Pretty much there whole team said they will return next season in the post game presser....not quite sure how they are gonna have enough scholarships for their incoming recruiting class next season.

UK Beat Writer

Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ)
3/19/13, 10:31 PM
So to recap: Harrow said he'll be back and Cauley-Stein, Poythress and Goodwin all said they don't think they're ready for the NBA.

 

[superjohn]

That's nice Harrow said he's coming back, where exactly would he go? Kid has been a complete bust.

 

[CTBasketball]

UK Beat Writer

Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ)
3/19/13, 10:31 PM
So to recap: Harrow said he'll be back and Cauley-Stein, Poythress and Goodwin all said they don't think they're ready for the NBA.

Potential decommitments from Kentucky? They can't have 10-12 scholarship players between 2 classes. Witjter will stay, so will a few other upperclassmen.

 

[BUHusky]

-Sorry OP, I disagree. A bad loss in the NIT will not affect their recruiting in any meaningful way. Case in point, Julius Randle (No. 3 overall) just committed there today. As long as Cal keeps putting these guys in the NBA, Kenutcky's actual performance during the season won't really matter.

What I find much more interesting is their scholarship situation going forward. Cal recruits every year with the assumption that his previous year's top class will pretty much all jump for the NBA, freeing up space for his next year's top class. Looking at UK's current roster, they have exactly 1 senior and assuming Noel in fact jumps, that leaves them 2 openings for next year. Problem is UK has gotten commitments from 7 kids so far (and they are still pursuing Wiggins). So even if Poythress, Goodwin, and Cauley-Stein don't think they are ready for the NBA and therefore want to stay in school, I don't think they could come back even if they wanted to because Cal won't invite them back (remember scholarships are renewable every year by the SCHOOL) because he simply won't have room for them. He did exactly that in 09-10 to free up scholarships for the Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, Cousins class. Stay classy Calamari.

 

[UCDaveD]

Uhhh, yeah.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/r...wildcats-bounce-back-julius-randle-commitment

 

[Brochacho]

So Kentucky in four years has been to the E8 3 times, FF twice, and won it all but yet this recruiting style won't work? The real problem is last year's squad had 6 NBA players in the rotation but Calipari only replaced them with one true one and done player, Noel. Other three guys are decent, but they should bot have any NBA thoughts until after their sophomore year at least. However, they don't have this luxury. Most likely they will have to choose between transferring or the NBA, because next year's class will likely have 8 players, 6 of whom you could argue are better than Poythress, Goodwin, or Cauley-Stein. Next year's class has two guys who would be taken in the lottery this year, and it has 5 legitimate one and done players. I don't care if they hate each other's guts; UK will skill their way into the E8 next year.

 

[tzznandrew]

So Kentucky in four years has been to the E8 3 times, FF twice, and won it all but yet this recruiting style won't work? The real problem is last year's squad had 6 NBA players in the rotation but Calipari only replaced them with one true one and done player, Noel. Other three guys are decent, but they should bot have any NBA thoughts until after their sophomore year at least. However, they don't have this luxury. Next year's class has two guys who will be taken in the lottery this year, and it has 5 legitimate one and done players. I don't care if they hate each other's guts; UK will skill their way into the E8 next year.

Well, let's be clear.

1. That first year he got to the Elite 8 with a couple of impact freshmen (Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe) and some experienced players who were remaining.
2. The next year he did make the E8 on a miracle run of sorts (4-seed that needed a last second layup to beat Princeton).
3. The next year, after a couple of kids came back who could have gone in the lottery (Jones most notably), they added Anthony Davis who, for instance, is way better than Noel. That team won the title on the backs of some great freshmen, and some returning kids who had success.

This past year was the second mass exodus (after 2), and the first without any real upperclassmen carryover (Liggins, for instance, provided some stability).

I don't think UK is going to disappear. I think their success will really be about their PGs being serviceable. I think of the 2010-11 UNC team that refused to go full time with Marshall. They looked awful...and then suddenly, they were a 2 seed. If they get PGs who can run an offense, and keep bringing in studs for other positions, they'll always be dangerous.

Yet I can't help thinking that last year will be the exception that proves the rule. I just don't think, especially with the sorts of comments Cal makes to some players, that you can win with only freshmen and inexperienced sophomores. Even last year there was a blend that I struggle to see coming together again.

 

[uconnsox23]

Of course they somehow get the #1 power forward Julius Randle. I honestly don't know how Calipari does it.

 

[BearJWS]

Of course they somehow get the #1 power forward Julius Randle. I honestly don't know how Calipari does it.

Calamari did get a big raise after last year's National Championship. The reason the top players go there is exposure. They're constantly on National TV, shown in just about every NCAA commercial, etc. Then they are continually mentioned on NBA Draft sights as One & Done, even if not ready. Then you've got Jay Z showing up in their locker room, which to me should be a violation. That's how he does it. I don't agree with it, but what can you do. He's got 5 Top 10 players coming in, another Top 20, then ho hum, a 3 Start PF.

 

[huskyharry]

Don't forget the Leer Jet rides and limousine rides with LeBron James and other celebs as well.
I suspect their are at least promises of guaranteed financial renumeration from the World Wide Wes family, but so far no smoking gun.
The pickle for the existing players is that they will likely be forced to leave to make room for the new additions but may not get picked in the first round. I agree that the NIT loss will not adversely affect recruiting, but two or three players encouraged to leave after their freshman years and then not making it in the NBA could hurt Kensucky recruiting