Just when Kentucky fans thought it was safe to abandon hope for next season, Coach John Calipari has gone out and assembled another completely ridiculous signing class, capped off with the news that consensus top 10 recruit Terrence Jones will sign with the Wildcats.
Jones, a smooth 6-9 power forward from Portland, Ore., was originally committed to Washington, but late Wednesday night news outlets were reporting that he would indeed sign with Kentucky.
Adding Jones to a backcourt of Enes Kanter and Eloy Vargas gives UK instant size, strength and athleticism on the interior. Judging by his highlight reel, Jones is a guy who can do a little bit of everything–handle the rock, rebound, block shots and intimidate opponents in the low post.
With Brandon Knight and Doron Lamb complementing DeAndre Liggins, Darius Miller and (hopefully) Darnell Dodson on the wing and in the backcourt, this Kentucky roster is completely loaded once again.
Yes, the Cats will be young and go through growing pains this season. But in today’s game, where talent is being lost to the pros at an incredible rate, UK can match up man for man with just about anyone. Should be interesting to see how the roster comes together (and whether everyone qualifies) over the summer.
John Calipari is up to his old tricks again.
It has been confirmed by several sources that consensus top five recruit Doron Lamb will officially commit to Kentucky tomorrow, choosing the Cats over the likes of Arizona, UConn, Kansas and West Virginia.
Things have brightened up considerably for fans in Lexington. After Kentucky lost five underclassmen to the NBA draft this week, Cal went out and hauled in the nation’s top high school player in Brandon Knight. Now he gets a bona fide scholastic all-star in Lamb, a 6-4 shooting guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., with ridiculous athleticism and quickness.
The chips haven’t finished falling yet, either. Kentucky is still high on the list of prep super studs Josh Selby, C.J. Leslie and Terrence Jones. At this point UK may be looking at another glut of talent so thick that playing time will be hard to find next season.
Our hope is that somehow Daniel Orton comes back to school and readies himself for another season, where his skill set could easily make him an overall No. 1 pick by the 2011 NBA draft. With Orton lining up next to the multi-skilled Enes Kanter in the post, and ideally Jones and/or Leslie right behind them on the depth chart, the Wildcats will see very little production drop-off next year.
As for the backcourt, we can see Knight-Lamb as the fill-ins for John Wall and Eric Bledsoe, while Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins could be huge contributors at the wing position.
The future is once again intensely bright, while Calipari peddles his wares on the recruiting circuit. We just have to hope and pray that the stink of corruption and deception are not following in tow. Let’s enjoy the run while we can, folks.
The Vols and Cats play their rubber match today, and a lot more is on the line this time.
Both teams are securely in the field of 65, but a shot at an SEC tournament championship hangs in the balance Saturday.
Kentucky needs to shoot well and control the paint if they are to pull off the big W.
We’ll have coverage after the game.
Jay Williams said it after the game and we’ll say it, too. When this Kentucky team is knocking down shots from the perimeter, they may be unbeatable. Ironic considering one of the single biggest concerns entering the season was whether this Wildcat edition could shoot the ball.
Looks like the question is answered. The Cats hit 9 of 19 from deep, and shot 50% from the floor overall en route to a 10-point victory over Ole Miss at Rupp Arena Tuesday. On the season, Kentucky is now shooting 39% from three and just a shade below 50% from the floor.
Here are some other takeaways after the Mississippi win:
After failing to get out on the break much vs. South Carolina and Vandy, the Cats got back to running a bit Tuesday, throwing down some monster dunks and bringing back the aerial theatrics that have marked their play for much of the year.
Big Cuz was a man beast in the paint again tonight, ripping down boards and going to the rack relentlessly. The amazing thing about Cousins is that he can complement his strength and size with some amazing athleticism and body control.
Darnell Dodson appears to have taken the starting spot from Darius Miller, and he promptly made good on it by dropping 14 points on 4-5 shooting from deep. Dodson’s release is quick and he holds the ball high on his 6-7 frame, making it incredibly difficult to defend. Right now, he is a stone cold assassin.
It was good to see Miller knock down a three and put in a few good minutes off the bench. We were beginning to worry that he might be psychologically broken. He still looked a little clueless at times, but when he’s aggressive and looks for his shot, he is a different player. It will be interesting to see him next season when some of the superstar potential clears off the roster.
Speaking of potential, it was also nice to see Orton showing a couple strong offensive moves around the basket. He’ll need to work on his touch and overall court awareness, but this is a kid who has struggled with injuries the past two seasons. He’s just now coming into his own.
The BBL has mentioned it in the past, but we’ll say it again. It would not shock us to see this team produce four first round NBA draft choices later this summer in Cousins, John Wall, Eric Bledsoe and Patrick Patterson. Bledsoe’s ridiculous speed and jumping ability make him a distinct first round possibility in a PG-weak draft. A bigger question might be whether Patterson is still first round material (he almost certainly was last year).
Ole Miss fought hard despite being undersized and outmanned. If they get starting center Reggie Buckner back healthy and avoid an SEC stretch collapse, they could be a tough out in the tourney. According to Coach Calipari, more than 20 NBA scouts were in attendance tonight to watch two of the best backcourts in the nation.
Another question was answered Saturday, as the temporarily number one ranked Kentucky Wildcats rebounded from a deflating first loss earlier this week and thoroughly dominated a very good Vanderbilt squad.
Rather than recapping the entire game, we’ll go Clint Eastwood in this write up and give you the good, the bad and the ugly from today’s performance.
The Good
DeMarcus Cousins – Big Cuz is becoming a more complete big man day by day. The 260-pound goliath showed off an impressive combination of agility, hustle and knack for finishing around the rim in a 21 point, 10 rebound effort. Vandy had no answer for him in the post, as the big boy went to the line 13 times and racked up 10 or 12 fouls on the mix of big men who tried to stop him. As commentator Jimmy Dykes pointed out in the telecast, there is no big man in college hoops right now who is more consistent. The BBL is salivating over a possible chance to see him go toe to toe with Cole Aldrich in a late round tourney game.
Darnell Dodson – Getting a rare start in place of Eric Bledsoe (no news on why just yet), Dodson responded with four threes and 16 points. He played nice interior defense, too, pulling in seven boards and doing a nice job on Ogilvy and Taylor, both of whom struggled mightily. Getting more games like this from DD will be a huge plus down the stretch.
Rebounding – The Cats utterly dominated Vandy on the boards today, outrebounding them 39 to 21 overall and 18 to three on the offensive glass. Second chance points were the story as the Cats used their huge front line to dictate every offensive possession and keep the ‘Dores from making any runs late in the game.
Patrick Patterson – PP rebounded from a bad game last week to drop 12 points, which included a career best three three-pointers. But he’ll need to be more aggressive than he was today inside. Patterson passed up the opportunity to take his man to the rack or go strong to the hole on several occasions, opting instead to clear the ball back outside. For his personal future in the pros, and the success of UK this March, he will definitely need to play stronger and look to score. Coach Calipari should also give him more opportunities with set plays.
The Bad
Darius Miller – Not sure where Miller’s game has gone, but after last week’s 18 point effort vs. Arkansas, he’s thrown up two goose eggs and continues to look confused or scared.
Turnovers – The Cats turned it over 17 times, and seven of them were on Wall (who helped balance it out with nine dimes). Sloppy play on the part of UK prevented this game from being a blowout.
Free throws – Surprise, UK shot poorly from the line again today. The Cats missed 14 FTs, including a combined 12-21 by Wall, Bledsoe and Liggins, who did the majority of the ballhandling late. This may not prevent them from winning a championship, but the Cats won’t become a complete team until they get better here.
The Ugly
Technical fouls – Big Cuz received a tech in the second half and narrowly avoided being tossed in the early going, after throwing a vicious forearm to the head of a Vandy big man.
Messy basketball – In all, there were 58 fouls called in the game, and officials needed to separate or warn players on both sides several times. UK showed it can thrive in a brutal halfcourt slugfest vs. Louisville and then again today, but this is a better team when it plays to its strengths of getting out in transition and attacking the goal.
BBL Take
Kentucky made a nice statement today against a Vanderbilt team that showed athleticism and grittiness. The Commodores will be a much tougher test in their own gym next month. All in all, you have to be encouraged by the play of DeAndre Liggins, who logged 25 minutes, dropped nine points and continued to play the role of human bruise in diving for loose balls and playing tenacious defense. The Cats were also a force from deep range today, going 12-23 from behind the arc with five different players knocking down triples.
A top 25-ranked Ole Miss team comes to Rupp Tuesday for what should be another opportunity to prove this Kentucky is a national championship contender.
1) The Commodores come into this game with possibly their deepest team in the Kevin Stallings era. Ten players are averaging nine minutes or more per game and four of them are averaging double figures in points. Vandy returned seven of its top eight scorers from last season and added one of the school’s biggest recruits of the past decade in John Jenkins, a 6-5 guard who is averaging 11 points per game on a sick 49% percentage from behind the three point arc. This roster possesses a variety of weapons.
2) This year’s Vandy squad is a bit different from past editions in two primary ways. First of all, they are athletic and have several players who can slash and jump. Second, they are not just a perimeter oriented team that beats you with the long ball. This team has some size up front, and with the offensive game of A.J. Ogilvy, they will feed the post when they need a bucket. That said, they still shoot nearly 38% from long range and will knock down open jumpers all day.
3) How the Cats decide to defend Vanderbilt in the post will be something to watch. The 6-11 Ogilvy is more of finesse player with a face up jumper, while DeMarcus Cousins is an immovable force in the post. Vandy forward Jeffery Taylor is an athletic combo player who can also mix it up inside a bit. Will UK try to counter him with Patrick Patterson, or leave it to one of the wings?
4) Kentucky cannot expect to dominate this game, nor should the Cats expect the homecourt advantage to be as overwhelming as it was last weekend. Vanderbilt has been strong on the road, winning games at Saint Mary’s, Alabama, Tennessee and two weeks ago in Columbia. Most educated consumers of UK hoops have had the date at Memorial Coliseum in Nashville circled since the summer, but make no mistake, this team will come into Rupp expecting to win.
5) The Cats have come back down to earth and will likely leave the top spot in next week’s polls, win or lose this weekend. After a thrilling 19-game win streak to start the season, how will a relatively young UK squad handle its first bit of adversity? Vandy is a team that matches up relatively well with Kentucky’s deep and talented roster. The ‘Dores are experienced and go two-deep at every position. PG Jermaine Beal is battle tested and can handle the ball well enough to withstand Kentucky’s defensive pressure. The rest of the roster has enough athletes to run with the Cats, too. We expect a very close game.
Though the BBL was high on Eric Bledsoe from the moment we saw tape of his scholastic days, it appears that the secret is now out among NBA GMs. As of right now, UK faces the very real possibility of losing Bledsoe to the NBA draft after only one season.
In fact there is a large contingent of pundits and analysts who are listing him as the second best point guard on the board behind only his backcourt mate Mr. Wall. Chad Ford of NBA Draft Insider recently said that Bledsoe would already be considered a lottery pick if it wasn’t for Wall.
To think that UK could have two top five picks in the same draft in its backcourt is hard to imagine. And both are freshman.
As we see it, here are Bledsoe’s primary strengths:
• Upper body and freakish athleticism
He is a man among boys next to most college frosh. He overpowers guys on his penetration and can finish and draw a foul. Also possesses the ability to leap with anyone and block shots despite a 6-0 frame.
• Speed with the ball
If there is a player in college basketball faster end to end with the ball in his hands it could only be John Wall. He is a human blur and is a one man press breaker.
• Ability to spot up and shoot from deep
Bledsoe shows excellent technique in his ability to set his feet, square and connect from deep. He is shooting 47% from three point land and has become the Wildcats’ most consistent three-point shooter.
• Low center of gravity and ball handling ability
He handles the ball like Isaiah Thomas when he is guarded one on one. He can break anyone down off the dribble, get to the rack and drop an assist or finish himself.
Bledsoe’s main weaknesses:
• Controlling tempo
He is a frosh and can play at warp speed on every play, leading to turnovers and out of control body movements.
• An overly aggressive nature
Bledsoe clearly plays with a chip on his shoulder. He will need to tone it down a bit and learn to harness his emotions before starring at the next level.
At this point it’s hard to predict what EB will do once his freshman season ends. If he continues to improve all the way through March, we know the lure of a big money NBA contract will be hard to resist.
Bledsoe himself has stated that he wants to return to school next year, unless he is projected as a top 10 pick. The question is, are there nine guys who will go in front of him?
We’ve said it before but, as UK fans, we should sit back and enjoy the show. John Wall and Eric Bledsoe, as we boldly predicted three months ago, might end up being the best UK backcourt of all time.
The BBL has surveyed the college hoops landscape and we see only a handful of teams that can beat UK provided that UK is on their game.
In no particular order:
Villanova
This is a really good team in the backcourt. Scotty Reynolds is a deadeye 3-point shooter and a savvy veteran. Their other guards are athletic and super quick, allowing Nova to employ constant traps in the backcourt. Their inside guys are young but big and athletic. UK would have to bring their A game to beat Jay Wright’s club in the tooney.
Texas
This is the closest team athletically and in size to UK. Texas has three really good frosh who play major minutes as well. They have two beasts in the low post in Wangmene and Pittman. Damian James is a smaller, better shooting version of Pattrick Patterson. This could very well be the NCAA title game should seedings hold in the tournament.
Syracuse
This is the one team because of their amoeba matchup 2-3 zone that every team fears in the Big Dance. They are extremely athletic in the low post and have good gap shooters in Rautins and Triche. They are not as deep as UK, Texas or Villanova but the zone allows them to get away with playing fewer players.
Kansas
This team is deep but slow. Collins, Henry and the Morris twins are the real athletes they possess. They are also not nearly as tall or long in the backcourt as UK, and we see them struggling against guards like Kentucky’s. But they are well coached and have solid tournament experience. They will be a tough out either way.
UNC/Duke/Miss State/UConn
All four of these teams have the depth, size and shooting to compete against UK. Each team has serious flaws and would have to be firing on all cylinders to take out UK in a tournament matchup. UNC is small and thin in the backcourt. Duke is slow and unathletic in the frontcourt. Miss St is just raw and very inconsistent. UConn has lots of size and talent but shoots very poorly from the perimeter and the line.
Next Tier: Georgetown/West Virginia/Vandy/Tennessee/Michigan State/Kansas State
These teams each have a few crucial shortcomings that make them a bad matchup for Kentucky. But each of them possesses enough talent and depth to possibly make a move as the season progresses. We see these six teams as being poised to make a run in March. Keep an eye on them.
This is how we see things today. Obviously, UK could lose to anyone on any day, as the close margin with Auburn illustrates. But if Kentucky is on its game, we don’t see anyone outside the teams mentioned above that can put together the kind of effort it will take to beat the Cats.
Onto Rupp next Saturday vs Arkansas.
The Cats pulled out a closer than expected 76-68 victory over a Georgia Bulldog squad that pushed them to their physical limits in every phase of the game.
Georgia held a lead as late as the 5:00 minute mark, but defense and clutch inside baskets by Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins ended up being the difference.
Once again, poor free-throw and three-point shooting plagued the Cats, who went 2-14 from behind the arc and 22-33 from the line. But backcourt defensive pressure contributed to 26 Bulldog turnovers and the UK front line stood tall with the game on the line.
Georgia clawed its way back from an 11 point deficit in the first half and built as much as a six point cushion in the second half. The Dawgs were led by Travis Leslie’s 20 points, which included a thunderous first half dunk over Cousins, and Trey Thompkins 17 point, 13 rebound performance. Thompkins fooled UK defenders with an array of short jumpers and strong inside moves.
But the Cats inside pressence was too strong in the end, as three Georgia big men fouled out in the game. John Wall and Eric Bledsoe were also crucial factors down the stretch, getting clutch steels and penetrating at will for most of the afternoon.
Takeaways
- DeAndre Liggins continued to show improvement and, we feel, deserves more PT. Liggins had 6 points and 3 steals in only 14 minutes. He showed more aggressiveness today than he has so far this season. It was great to see.
- Coach Calipari seemed to shrink the bench again, which is becoming a bit of a trend. The starters received the bulk of the minutes, and most of the subs shared their time at the 3-position. As in the Louisville game, when things got tight late, Cal was unwilling to go the bench.
- This Kentucky team continues to find ways to win, and it’s not always the John Wall show. Wall had an off-game, missing a couple dunks and shooting erratically. He penetrated at will, but didn’t finish. Meanwhile, Patterson was strong down the stretch and Cousins showed a will to win, diving on the floor and making some big hustle plays in the waning minutes.
- With several other top 25 upsets already this weekend, it seems fairly clear that conference play is going to be a roller coaster in college hoops this year. The Cats will need to buckle up and prepare for 15 straight wars.
This is a nice piece on how the Cats are picking up the profile of the entire SEC.
All in all the Cats are prohibitive favorites to win the league. But the SEC looks ready to send five or six teams to the big dance, where someone other than Kentucky could make an impact.
