The Stars by the Names

[billoliver40]

We just might be getting a tee tiny ahead of ourselves on some of the boards. It looks like CBGs best recruiting class is around 2010. By most
standards, it could be 2012 or 2013 before that class turns into what it could be.

I read that BG looks at players for what he thinks or believes they can be
by the time they're juniors or maybe the last half of their soph season.
Not necessarily what they are right now.

Seems to be some dissappointment today about the ratings of kids like Euton, Ross-Miller, Villarino....etc....

just a couple reminders for all of us....Michael Jordan was a reserve on the NC team that won it all. Roy Williams champ team....Mays, et al...was considered just borderline uncontrollable until something clicked.
If you're going by stars on the roster, Kansas State won last year's national title....period...8 kids, two NBA draftees...whattaya mean they
only went a couple rounds?
What do ya mean Anthony Epps at Kentucky is starting ahead of Wayne
Turner??????????
Hardest word for a UK fan (includes me in capitals) is patience. We're
going to have to wait and see.

[sardiscat]

"Michael Jordan was a reserve on the NC team that won it all."

Jordan was the third best player and a starter on the NC team that won it all. Played 34 minutes in the championship game and made the all tournament team.

[Will Lavender]

While I see your point, recruit scouting has become more of an exact science than it ever has been. Obviously it's still a long way off from being perfectly exact, but there are so many scouts out there, so many guys who are paid to do this, so many companies that send these people out to look at young players, so many bloggers, etc. etc. etc.

I'm not going to lie. Personally, I get worried when I see a person like Justin Young talking negatively about Dakota Euton. Doesn't worry me when I see a UK fan saying it on a message board; you can attach motive there. Does the fan know the kid's family, is there some grudge there, how much does the fan know about basketball? But when a "professional" says something negative, I listen.

Doesn't mean we should give up on the kids. And it certainly is prudent to be patient with our younger players, because they've still got time to improve. But basketball is not that difficult of a sport to analyze; it isn't football. When a lot of people start saying the same thing, there's cause for concern.

[Will Lavender]

Another thing, tangentially related to the OP.

Many fans get up in arms when UK signs a kid in the 75-100 range and miss out on a kid in the 20-40 range. That's splitting hairs: honestly there's not much of a difference there. A lot of people read those rankings and the star system literally, and they're not supposed to be read like that. After you get out of the top 20, there's a pile of players who separate themselves not on "upside" or "potential," but on their ability to work to get better once they get in college.

All that said, you can pretty much bank on the top 20 players being something special. Obviously somebody's going to point out some flubs, but if you're recruiting the top 20 (according to Rivals or Scout) with some consistency, you're going to compete for Final Fours. Bank it.

[billoliver40]

=
All that said, you can pretty much bank on the top 20 players being something special. Obviously somebody's going to point out some flubs, but if you're recruiting the top 20 (according to Rivals or Scout) with some consistency, you're going to compete for Final Fours. Bank it.


Good point. Could not disagree. Right now, seems like 3 or 4 teams are
pulling most of those kids: Carolina, Florida, Ohio State, maybe UCLA.

UConn did it for awhile, with fine results. Georgetown....dunno.
Duke got some really good kids....I know, I know...but they are good players....but seems they all play about the same position and are still
soft in the power game.


Big trick today is keeping those kids. Florida lucked onto a sweet deal.
Kids loved the game, had a ball playing together, and were able to pull
two in a row. UNC seems to have pretty good luck with their kids sticking...usually 3 years at least.
Ohio State....well...we will have to wait and see what they bring this year. Had a couple of super recruiting classes, though.
UCLA keeps loading the wagon. Seems like one fine player leaves and
another just steps up to the plate.

UKs down years in recruiting are going to haunt for a couple more seasons. Its gonna take a deep run or two two get some of these top
notch kids to come here...at least on a consistent basis.