# 4 or 5 UK players declare for the draft



## BlueBaron (May 11, 2003)

**** **** **** **** I knew 3 were leaving but I was hoping Bledsoe and Orton would stay... **** **** **** ****

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2010/news/story?id=5064967


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

Shocking!!!! :|

oh please, you knew it was going to happen


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## Geaux Tigers (Apr 26, 2004)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

I didn't expect Orton to go at all but I saw a possibility of Bledsoe going. Either way I'm surprised...


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## BlueBaron (May 11, 2003)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

I really thought Bledsoe and Orton would stay... :|


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## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

Kentucky better close big with the 2010 class if they want to be anywhere near an elite team next year.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

So long, good ****ing bye


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## BlueBaron (May 11, 2003)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

Well if we get Knight, Selby, Leslie, Jones, and Lamb I think we'll be ok.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

Cal is kind of stupid though. You can't recruit 4 one and done players in the same class. Two fine, mix in with some other players.


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## croco (Feb 14, 2005)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*



HKF said:


> Cal is kind of stupid though. You can't recruit 4 one and done players in the same class. Two fine, mix in with some other players.


I don't think he expected Bledsoe and Orton to be one and done. Has there ever been a time when more than two freshmen from the same team declared for the NBA draft?


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## Ghost (Jun 21, 2002)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

I thought Eric Bledsoe would stay and be one of the best players in the country next season, I was wrong


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

You wouldn't think that anyone who was one and done would want to go to UK next year. They're basically losing their entire rotation so there'd be plenty of PT, but they're just not going to be very good. Hard to see how most of those undecided guys don't decide to go somewhere that won't give them a better shot at winning next year.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*



BlueBaron said:


> Well if we get Knight, Selby, Leslie, Jones, and Lamb I think we'll be ok.


You realize some of those players want to be stars of their own teams right?


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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*



croco said:


> I don't think he expected Bledsoe and Orton to be one and done. Has there ever been a time when more than two freshmen from the same team declared for the NBA draft?


Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook come to mind.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

Conley did a very good job of cashing in on a lot of unwarranted hype. That would have been a very good year for any halfway decent point guard to come out as you had so many lottery teams desperate for a point. No way he should have been a lottery pick.


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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*



Diable said:


> Conley did a very good job of cashing in on a lot of unwarranted hype. That would have been a very good year for any halfway decent point guard to come out as you had so many lottery teams desperate for a point. No way he should have been a lottery pick.


I don't know... he was a solid NCAA point guard... When Oden was out Conley did a terrific job of keeping that team competitive. That, and he had some pretty impressive combine numbers... I think a guy with his freshman resume (losing in the title game, etc...) will pretty typically be a lottery pick.


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## SheriffKilla (Jan 1, 2004)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

Well Bledsoe and Orton could still come back and Patterson supposedly wasnt planning to make his decision for another couple of weeks. With that said I believe all 5 will stay in.


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## BlueBaron (May 11, 2003)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

Oh yeah, I forgot about Enes Kanter. I'm not worried.


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## thatsnotgross (Dec 4, 2006)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*

Yes you guys have Kanter.... even if you get Knight, Lamb AND Selby/Joseph... how many of them will leave once again? How many of them will have the impact that Wall and Cousins had this year? Sooner or later, it will catch up to Calipari. 

Gotta have some good players that will stay 2+ years... Patrick Patterson was a rare one because I thought he would leave last year. 

Oh well.. i'm okay with whatever Calipari wants to do as long as he doesn't get in the way of Syracuse run to the title


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## BlueBaron (May 11, 2003)

So PPat says he didn't declare but UK says he did. That's just weird.


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## GNG (Aug 17, 2002)

Didn't someone on these boards say that Bledsoe wasn't even going to class at all in the second semester? When I read that, I figured he was a lock to declare.


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

BlueBaron said:


> So PPat says he didn't declare but UK says he did. That's just weird.


His momma just mad the athletic department broke the news before they did


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## rebelsun (Nov 25, 2003)

If all five keep their names in, it will be fun to see how Cal fills the spots. It seems Knight and Leslie are solid bets to join Kanter and Poole. Add Terrence Jones or Terrence Ross at the 3, and it's another insane class. Quite honestly, if you're an elite prospect that isn't primarily interested in getting a degree right now and has the chance for plenty of p/t, I'm not sure how you pass on this Kentucky machine.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

Maybe you're interested in winning games, not including beating the broad underbelly of the SEC. UK is going to lose games next year, probably a lot of games. Brandon Knight is like the fifth best prospect this year. Cal isn't going to have two dominating freshmen and he isn't a good enough coach to win without a lot of talent.


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## Jonathan Watters (Jul 20, 2002)

You honestly think Cal couldn't win with a Knight/Dodson/Miller/Leslie/Kanter starting lineup and Liggins/Jones/Poole off the bench?


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## Jonathan Watters (Jul 20, 2002)

*Re: 5 UK players declare for the draft*



Diable said:


> Conley did a very good job of cashing in on a lot of unwarranted hype. That would have been a very good year for any halfway decent point guard to come out as you had so many lottery teams desperate for a point. No way he should have been a lottery pick.


Let's see...Jeff Green, Yi, Brewer, Brandan Wright, Joakim Noah, Spencer Hawes, Acie Law, Thaddeus Young, Julian Wright, Al Thornton. 

The only player on that list clearly better than Conley is Joakim Noah.


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

Jeff Green is clearly better.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

Brandan Wright is better except that he's been injured. Al Thornton is just better. Conley has not been better than Brewer either...Mediocrity is his ceiling.


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## Jonathan Watters (Jul 20, 2002)

Green and Thornton post better averages, but aren't good players. They play a lot of minutes and therefore score more points, but aren't any more productive than Conley. Green averages 15/6 in 37 minutes, Thornton averaged 17/5 in 37 minutes in his best season, and Conley averages 12/5 in 32 minutes. 

Thornton isn't even comparable to Conley. He doesn't make threes, get to the line or rebound, and has one of the most hollow scoring averages in the entire league. 

And you really can't talk about Brandan Wright as being a better pick than Conley, given that he's spent 80% of his career on injured reserve.


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## BlueBaron (May 11, 2003)

Kentucky will be just as good next year if not better. I'm not worried.


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

There is ZERO chance you're better next year


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

BlueBaron said:


> Kentucky will be just as good next year if not better. I'm not worried.


#delusional


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

Jonathan Watters said:


> Green and Thornton post better averages, but aren't good players. They play a lot of minutes and therefore score more points, but aren't any more productive than Conley. Green averages 15/6 in 37 minutes, Thornton averaged 17/5 in 37 minutes in his best season, and Conley averages 12/5 in 32 minutes.
> 
> Thornton isn't even comparable to Conley. He doesn't make threes, get to the line or rebound, and has one of the most hollow scoring averages in the entire league.
> 
> And you really can't talk about Brandan Wright as being a better pick than Conley, given that he's spent 80% of his career on injured reserve.


Have you ever watched Green play? He's a really good player. Shouldn't be even in the same sentence as Thornton. Not a chucker and actually plays defense. He's plays an important role and is part of the reason why OKC is as good as they are.

Conley sucks. Can't shoot or guard anyone. He's actually holding Memphis down. MemphisX and Cinco, the Grizz fans here would agree.


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## croco (Feb 14, 2005)

BlueBaron said:


> Kentucky will be just as good next year if not better. I'm not worried.


mg:


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

Sad thing is that Kentucky could still win a lot of games next year. Look at their schedule this year...Maybe four or five quality wins the whole year. That might be generous. Tennessee is their best win I guess...think they're around 30 in the pomeroy rankings and that was in Rupp.


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Diable said:


> Maybe four or five quality wins the whole year. That might be generous.


Yes, extremely generous


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## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

BlueBaron said:


> Kentucky will be just as good next year if not better. I'm not worried.


:laugh: Wait you were serious?


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## BlueBaron (May 11, 2003)

Yes I'm serious. If we get Knight to go along with Kanter why shouldn't we be just as good? If we don't get Knight then that might be a different story but Liggins is more than capable of being a quality PG.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

You have 3 guys in this present UK team going top 10, 5 guys that most likely will go in the lottery, no way this incoming UK class touches that, at most you get Knight, Kanter and Leslie.


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## TM (Jun 30, 2003)

Knight isn't as good as Wall. Kanter isn't anywhere near as good as Cousins. I've watched clip after clip of Leslie and have yet to see him to anything than dunk and block shots from time to time (= jump high). That's going to make you have as good a season as this year??


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## SheriffKilla (Jan 1, 2004)

Ya I like Knight and Kanter but they are no Wall, Cousins
And Leslie is no Patty but T.Jones > Bledsoe if they get him I think they can make an Elite 8 run with improved Miller, Dodson and Liggins + dont forget Stacey Poole


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## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

BlueBaron said:


> Yes I'm serious. If we get Knight to go along with Kanter why shouldn't we be just as good? If we don't get Knight then that might be a different story but Liggins is more than capable of being a quality PG.


Wall > Knight
Cousins/Patterson > Kanter 

College basketball should also be stronger as a whole next year. I'll be honest you may get close to 30+ wins again because the SEC is weak as hell, but you won't be as talented or as good as this past season. 


Plus if you have to rely on Liggins to run point that's a similar cliff fall as going from Lawson to Drew was for us. Have fun if that's what hand you get this upcoming year.


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## coolpohle (Dec 28, 2006)

Assuming nobody pulls their name out, even with Wright I don't think you can figure on Kentucky being anywhere close to the team they have this year. I'll take a team that was respectable this year with a decent chunk returning over Kentucky next year. Wall's production could be replaced by Knight, but nobody is going to come in and make an impact like Cousins had. And they don't have a guy like Patterson returning as they did the prior year. With Dodson as the best guy coming back, it's just not enough.


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## Jonathan Watters (Jul 20, 2002)

Yeah, anybody who claims Kentucky will be as good as this year definitely has their homer goggles on. But it is just as ridiculous to say they won't be good, period.


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## kansasalumn (Jun 9, 2002)

This Friday Lamb and Shelby will announced between KU and UK. I perfer one of them and try to get a big man JUCO player or save it for next year b/c we already have a lot of guards/wing


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## rebelsun (Nov 25, 2003)

Kentucky will win 25+ games every year as long as Cal is coach. Postseason success is another story, but having the most talented roster in the country year after year does count for something.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

Having the most talented roster in the country? I dont recall him doing that year after year...

On another note

http://dimemag.com/2010/04/john-calipari-upset-with-nba-draft-eligibility-rules/



> “I don’t agree with the rule now. I think that, one, kids should be able to go directly to the League if that’s what they choose to do. And if they go to college, they should stay two years or maybe three. The way it is right now it’s really hard…”


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## rebelsun (Nov 25, 2003)

HB said:


> Having the most talented roster in the country? I dont recall him doing that year after year...
> 
> On another note
> 
> http://dimemag.com/2010/04/john-calipari-upset-with-nba-draft-eligibility-rules/


Having the most talented 'roster' is debatable, but he has had the most talented individual college players the past 3 years - Rose, Tyreke, and Wall/Cousins. This season was a bonus in having #2 as well. Turner has incredible polish and may be more effective but he doesn't have more natural talent. '10-'11 will be the first in four years Cal hasn't experienced this (although he'll still end up with a killer class), but he should be back on track the following year with Gilchrist. 

One player a team does not make, but it certainly helps that your best is better than anyone else's.


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## kansasalumn (Jun 9, 2002)

He might have the best NBA talent this season, but I do not think they had the best talent. I know it is a copout. For having the best talent team, you need to have the NBA talent and the talent role players that could become NBA talent with good coaching.


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