When was the last time Cal developed an player?

[UConnSwag11]

I am no Calapari fan, but i'm constantly seeing a knock on his ability to "develop" players. How's PN & KF development going?

It's been what two/three years of head coaching for ollie? Facey has improved but has been playing out of position as of now. How did bazz, boat, daniels, develop(and don't say they were Calhouns guys, ollie had much to do with their development in practice and before games)? How long has cal been coaching? How was daniel orton, poythress, lee, d johnson etc. The reason they were good this year was because of towns, lyles, and booker. Throw in ulis. They were the most talented on the team and why those three will probably leave

 

[nomar]

I was going to respond but it's not worth my time talking about the NBA with someone who doesn't watch the NBA. Kendrick Perkins is a hilarious comp.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Can you honestly tell me Facey and Nolan have gotten ANY better since their freshman years?

Isn't this the exact opposite of the argument you were just making?

 

[boog204]

You can't deny PN and KF have improved since their freshman years. So yes they have developed. As someone said earlier, Cauley-Stein has not gotten much better since his freshman year.

Can you honestly tell me Facey and Nolan have gotten ANY better since their freshman years?

Insert confused meme here -->

 

[FartMan69]

God I hate Kentucky as much as the next guy but these constant Cal threads make us look so small. Every thread could be summed up to this: Squid sucks ass

 

[FartMan69]

Can you honestly tell me Facey and Nolan have gotten ANY better since their freshman years?

I can honestly tell you that neither has gotten ANY better. Nolan may have even regressed somehow and Facey is an enigma

 

[Husky25]

Yeah, sure I would take a one and done. I just don't prefer them. I like getting the players that take a year or two to develop and stay all four years. Take Frank Kaminsky for example. He started two games through his first two years. Now as a senior, he's POY. Those are the kinds of players I want to come to UConn.

Selfishly, I'd like a player who contributes throughout their four years in college and not jump early. But if a player is only going to be effective only for two, what difference does it make if those years are his Freshman/Sophomore years or Junior/Senior Years?

 

[UConnSwag11]

Selfishly, I'd like a player who contributes throughout their four years in college and not jump early. But if a player is only going to be effective only for two, what difference does it make if those years are his Freshman/Sophomore years or Junior/Senior Years?

You take the best players you can but you do also need those 3-4 year players. He gets the best players and the media and recruits thinks he's good at X's and os as well as a developer. I only brought it up because I really didn't know

 

[auror]

WCS is Brandan Wright, basically. (I just realized he spells his name with an A, that's horrific). With a chance to be more if he develops (ie the Tyson Chandler comps). That has value in the NBA.

 

[partyATkemba]

As bad as Calipari is at in-game coaching, you can't argue his development of his players, especially for his freshman. The learning curve in college basketball is tremendous (see Rudy Gay, Andre Drummond). Towns turned into an absolute stud, from just an athletic big in the beginning of the year

 

[CallMeBruce]

As bad as Calipari is at in-game coaching, you can't argue his development of his players, especially for his freshman. The learning curve in college basketball is tremendous (see Rudy Gay, Andre Drummond). Towns turned into an absolute stud, from just an athletic big in the beginning of the year

When was Gay ever not great?

 

[Danzz]

We'll never know if he can develop players because they are not there long enough.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Can you honestly tell me Facey and Nolan have gotten ANY better since their freshman years?

You lost me.

 

[partyATkemba]

When was Gay ever not great?

I could be in the minority here, but I don't think he lived up to the hype his Freshman year. He stayed to develop, and that was a great decision.

Remember, Drummond is our only one and done so we aren't used to the short development phase. Who was our last big man that was dominant his freshman year? Not Oriakhi, Thabeet, Armstrong, or Okafor. Those guys all grew hands, strength, post moves over the course of their respective careers in college.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I could be in the minority here, but I don't think he lived up to the hype his Freshman year. He stayed to develop, and that was a great decision.

Remember, Drummond is our only one and done so we aren't used to the short development phase. Who was our last big man that was dominant his freshman year? Not Oriakhi, Thabeet, Armstrong, or Okafor. Those guys all grew hands, strength, post moves over the course of their respective careers in college.

What did you expect from freshman Rudy? He was extremely effective right out of the gate, and was able to steal a starting job from an established veteran.

 

[Husky25]

You take the best players you can but you do also need those 3-4 year players. He gets the best players and the media and recruits thinks he's good at X's and os as well as a developer. I only brought it up because I really didn't know

No. My selfishness stems from wanting the best players to stay all four years. At the end of the day, all I really want is to be entertained. I feel that the college game far more entertaining than the NBA and UConn is my favorite program (and Alma Mater).

I want the best players to play for my favorite team for as long as they are allowed. Realistically, that is not going to happen. So if a great player is only going to contribute for two years, I don't think it matters if those years are while he is a Freshman/Sophomore or Junior/Senior, while sitting on the bench his first two years. (a la Frank Kaminsky).

 

[UConnSwag11]

We've ventured off course. Someone give me a guy or two that went from ok/good to first round lottery

 

[Matrim55]

We've ventured off course. Someone give me a guy or two that went from ok/good to first round lottery

Cauley-Stein. He was a raw 7-footer with no elite skills when he got to UK, and he'll go in the lottery as a hybrid version of Robin Lopez/Birdman Andersen, a destructive defensive force who blows up pick'n'rolls, protects the rim, is only ok on the boards, and gets what few points he can muster on lobs & put-backs.

Most kids who play for Cal don't appreciably improve, but it's disingenuous to say that WCS hasn't. He's not an all-star at the next level, but on the right team - even a good team - he can definitely be a difference maker.

 

[Showballot]

We've ventured off course. Someone give me a guy or two that went from ok/good to first round lottery

What do you mean by, "ok?" Like T-SAM? When would a guy like that ever see time on any of these Kentucky rosters.

 

[msgordon]

yea i mean its a loaded question. all the guys he brings in are better than ok/good to begin with. patrick patterson is a guy who played two years under gillepsie and was quoted as saying he came back for a 3rd year with calipari because he wanted to develop into a more complete player and knockdown shooter. he did, and its the reason hes in the NBA now as a stretch 4

 

[Matrim55]

yea i mean its a loaded question. all the guys he brings in are better than ok/good to begin with

It is, but more of the guys he's brought in - the twins, Poythress, Johnson, etc - see their stock slip than see it improve. Those guys were all supposed to be lottery picks, but of the four, only Johnson looks like a borderline first rounder at this point.

 

[JimHurley]

Isn't this the exact opposite of the argument you were just making?

I meant just the opposite sorry. I meant to say can you really tell me Facey and Nolan HAVEN'T gotten any better since their freshman years?

 

[FartMan69]

I meant just the opposite sorry. I meant to say can you really tell me Facey and Nolan HAVEN'T gotten any better since their freshman years?

yes

 

[CallMeBruce]

I meant just the opposite sorry. I meant to say can you really tell me Facey and Nolan HAVEN'T gotten any better since their freshman years?

I can absolutely say that Nolan has not improved. This was his worst season by any measure.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

It is laugh out loud funny that someone on here is bringing up Nolan and Facey to prove the point that UConn develops players and Calipari doesn't.