Worried about SFs

[DCWildcat]

For as much as we prattle about the PF position and how Tubby hasn't gotten it done, I'm pretty concerned about our future at SF. After Perry graduates this year, we'll have the following scenario:

1) We get lucky and get Tyler Smith (not likely given today's news)

2) Joe C. plays out of position

3) We start a freshman

3) isn't automatically bad, but we don't even seem to be trying toget any SFs for our 2007 class. By comparison, we've offered 3 PFs, (and Gary Johnson's offer will probably come soon), and 0 SFs. We don't even seem to be recruiting many, per rivals.

Anyone else concerned?

[catsrulenky]

What happened Today about Tyler Smith?

[I. Melvin]

Yeah, very concerned.

Any Tayshaun's out there? That's the type of SF I'd love to see us snare - long, quick leaper, dangerous from outside as well as in the paint. (Kinda sounds like Rekalin before we asked him to put on weight and become a PF ... )

[Swimmer4uk]

catsrulenky wrote: What happened Today about Tyler Smith?
per another thread on here, we lost ground with him and were placed into 3rd. Pitt is 1st

http://www.wildcatnation.net/forum/view_topic.php?id=19425&forum_id=1

[RCS]

I am terrified of the SF position. While no one particularly likes our PF we do not even have any SF other than Perry and he will be a SR. I guess Meeks could maybe play there but I am really sick of 6'4" SG playing SF. I really am confused by it. I hope it is not like what Tubby has done at C. He did not have any so he recruited 4 but failed to recruit a PF. Now we are recruiting PFs like crazy and no SF.

We need Smith in the worst way. I can't believe we can't get him. We are close to his home and he would be the main backup this year and start next year for sure. Amazing that we would lose a kid like this to Pitt of all places.

[Will Lavender]

I'm amazed that the coaching staff seems to believe that guards can play the small forward position.

Unless you really have explosive guards (like Villanova), then you still (just like you did 30 years ago) need three FORWARDS on the front line.

Why, oh why, doesn't our staff seem to understand this fact?

Nearly every good team I saw last year had a long, wiry, 6'5"+ kid out on the wing.

LSU did. Florida did. UCLA did. That's three of the Final Four.

Also...

Alabama did (Felix and Gee). South Carolina did (Kinsey). Vanderbilt did (Foster). Kansas did (Rush). Indiana did (Ratliff). Iowa did (Haluska). UCONN did (Gay). North Carolina did (Terry). Tennessee did (Bradshaw and Asumnu*).

That's EVERYONE who beat us last year.

I see a theme.

(*Bradshaw played a lot at the 4, but they did move him to the wing occasionally.)

[RP_McMurphy]

Will why should you be confused about this coaching staff. This coaching staff has already established itself as not even knowing the game situation at times. I am not surprised by anything this coaching staff does or doesn't do lately.

[BigblueDrew]

Will Lavender wrote: I'm amazed that the coaching staff seems to believe that guards can play the small forward position.

Unless you really have explosive guards (like Villanova), then you still (just like you did 30 years ago) need three FORWARDS on the front line.

Why, oh why, doesn't our staff seem to understand this fact?

Nearly every good team I saw last year had a long, wiry, 6'5"+ kid out on the wing.

LSU did. Florida did. UCLA did. That's three of the Final Four.

Also...

Alabama did (Felix and Gee). South Carolina did (Kinsey). Vanderbilt did (Foster). Kansas did (Rush). Indiana did (Ratliff). Iowa did (Haluska). UCONN did (Gay). North Carolina did (Terry). Tennessee did (Bradshaw and Asumnu*).

That's EVERYONE who beat us last year.

I see a theme.

(*Bradshaw played a lot at the 4, but they did move him to the wing occasionally.)

Will can you recall a UK team in the last several years that HAD everyone playing thier natural positions. I can't , and the reason is that TUbby Smith is incapable of recruiting toour needs. He rarely if ever has been able to fill a big hole in our roster with the appropriate sized and skilled player. This has stunted several of our past players development and crippled thier confidence. IMO Joe Crawford is a PERFECT example. One has to wonder at the state of his development if he could have played his natural position since his arrival, something that hasn't happened because Tubby's recruiting has been deficient at filling a glaring hole.

[Will Lavender]

RP_McMurphy wrote: Will why should you be confused about this coaching staff. This coaching staff has already established itself as not even knowing the game situation at times. I am not surprised by anything this coaching staff does or doesn't do lately.
That is part of their strategy, though.

Reggi Hanson said to a group of coaches in Memorial Colliseum, "At Kentucky, we like to play guys at multiple positions. That's what we do."

So it's not something that's just arbitrarily done, nor is it a consequence of recruiting mistakes.

It's a methodology.

And it doesn't work. Not at the small forward spot, especially.

One could make an argument (I don't know if this would work perfectly or not) that if we're talking about all-around success, then Bobby Perry had a better season than Joe Crawford did. That's factoring in everything: defense, rebounding, etc.

If you could argue that succesfully, then you could in turn say that our problem is not really at the 4. It's at the 3, as DCWildcat points out.

[BigblueDrew]

The real problem is sitting at the head of our bench, just my humble opinion.

[ares]

Drew I disagree. I think this year was a let down but the previous three were very good and almost great with the two very near misses of final fours. If you are getting number one seeds you are doing something right. Villinova, UConn, Memphis, and Duke did not make it to the final four but have very good season. I am not one to say the sky is falling just yet. I am eager to see how next year plays out. A bit too much gloom and doom for my liking.

[DCWildcat]

All of this magnifies the importance of Tyler Smith, who, unfortutunately, seems to have lost any ground we may have made up on him