Earlier tonight to the shock of virtually nobody the 5 starters from the National Champion Kentucky Wildcats unveiled the worst kept secret in college basketball, that they were ALL going pro. Coach Cal actually did the honor of giving it away twice before the kids announced it to the nation via press conference but hey whatever.....it's not like anybody didn't know anyways beforehand.
After one of the greatest TEAM seasons in NCAA history in which they won 38 games and had a shot to set a record by winning 40, UK will lose 6 key players and 1 reserve who played a decent amount of time(Vargas) for next year. For most universities this would be a problem, but this is the new age, and THIS is Kentucky basketball where one and done isn't an exception....it's the new normal. Honestly it almost seems like Coach Cal would rather his "student athletes" hang out for a year, make a run at a title(or in this years case win Cal his first one) and then bolt for the greener pastures of the NBA to never be heard from again(anybody who isn't a Piston fan remember Brandon Knight, or not a Rockets fan remember Patrick Patterson?). I don't blame him or them, if I had the talent I think I might bolt too....but doesn't this open up the argument of never letting kids be kids anymore? It seems like that is a common pattern in America nowadays, and college sports are clearly not exempt from this theory.
With the wife being a HUGE Kentucky fan I've been forced to watch a LOT of Kentucky games this season, so here's what I was thinking about the group that Kentucky has leaving, and a couple of the guys they have coming in, enjoy(comments/arguments welcome):
Anthony Davis: You know all about how he grew 6 inches from a guard to a center by now so I won't bother to go down that road, but I will say this: I saw him play in person in Louisville in the tourney and he is an athletic FREAK. This kid is an EASY choice for the #1 pick in the draft for a reason, he is worth it and a once in a generation type building block. I just pray he doesn't go to Charlotte because as brilliant of a player as MJ was, he's the exact opposite of it as an owner/exec(and this coming from a HUGE tarheel homer). Kid is legit and will do great things.....he didn't win EVERY award you can think of in college because he's a scrub. The one thing I think he will need to improve on is his weight and filling out his frame. Bigger guys will knock him around in the paint if he doesn't bulk up before his rookie year.
Michael Kidd Gilchrist: Due to his play on the offensive end and especially the defensive end the last month of the season I guess he's projected to be the #2 pick in the draft. I have no problem with that, kid has MAJOR skills, but I question where he will play in the NBA at 6'7, 232lbs. Will he be a 2 and handling the ball and trying to shut down the other teams shooting guard, or will he play the 3 and try to help out on small forwards like Melo and Pierce? He has good hands and could do either, but I think a LOT of his progression depends where he ends up being drafted, and if he's allowed to acclimate himself into the speed of the NBA off the bat or not. Statistically he was Kentucky's 2nd best rebounder at 7.4 so that should play well into his development. I see major potential in him and think he could easily be a Derrick Rose type player with his slashing ability.
Terrence Jones: The one guy in this group of starters that I never know what to make of. He's 6'9 and 252 playing PF in Kentucky's offense, but sometimes I think he thinks he's a 6'3 SG and tries to do too much with the ball. He needs a post game in which he can back guys down a little bit more to be truly effective in the NBA where guys are just as big and way more physical than he has shown himself to be. Sort of seems to suffer from a lapse in concentration at times as well. Still is projected as a Top 10 pick, but will need a LOT of coaching to become a big star in the league imo. I will give him this, he made a great decision to not come out last year and to utilize another year at UK and it improved his game, otherwise I think he'd be in the D-League right now had he come out last year.
Doron Lamb: Easily my favorite player to watch of this group. He's a kid you can just tell had a blast being on this team and being in college. He has good size at 6'4 and 210lbs, as well as good end to end speed. A couple of things I've seen have him going in the middle half of the first round and even being picked before Jones(which I'd agree with). Lamb in my opinion was easily THE best shooter in America without a doubt. Check out his 22 points and MULTIPLE big shots in the championship game and how smooth he played if you need proof. He's a guy who I think will be good in a couple of years as long as he can come in for the right team(think of sort of a Derek Fisher type for LA who always seemed to hit the big shot for a "little guy" but faster). I just pray he doesn't turn out like former Arizona Wildcat Salim Stoudamire or former Aggie Acie Law 4th.
Marquis Teague: I said before the tourney that IF UK lost(even though I didn't expect them to, sometimes teams are just heads above everyone else: UNC in 09) that they would lose it because of Teague and his sometimes suspect decision making. He didn't falter in the tourney, and UK won. Now he won't be the next line of GREAT point guard from Cal like Wall or Rose or Rondo, but he won't be a scrub either. He has good size at 6'2, 190, but might be outsized against some of the bigger point guards in the league who will rush his decision making. Can he handle the pressure of having a guy like the aforementioned Rose up in his grill? I think he could thrive with a fast paced team like Golden State or Miami where he can just run with the ball and get it out to his shooters.
Eloy Vargas: The epitome of a guy who was just sort of there for his college career. Yes he will go down on maybe the greatest UK team of all time, but for what reason? Mostly used as extra fouls during his college career, but hey he could develop late and become a decent mop up guy. I will say he's an awesome dude though for taking that girl to prom, that earned him MAJOR cool points(go look it up I'll be here).
Darius Miller: Everything I want out of a kid on my team. A 4 year guy who played for a BAD team in 09 but was a starter and who learned to curtail his ego and become a VALUABLE role player for teams since Cal took over. I think he's the glue that held the teams together the past 3 years to be honest. He was the key to this years team imo. Great defense and most importantly great leadership was his forte and he served that role perfectly. The major thing is who will be around to fill that role out for the Wildcats next year, and how much of a difference will it make to their chances at repeating with all the young guns coming in? I hope he gets drafted, he's one of the few good guys in sports nowadays and would be a great rolemodel for young hoopers to emulate.
There you have it, there's some thoughts about the guys leaving an amazing legacy at UK and in Cal's heart.....but thankfully they gave me the amazing memory of listening to the Lexington Police Scanner after the win. Thank you so much for that.
UK will be a top 4 team next year and likely play deep into the tourney again with the commitments of guys like Nerlens Noel who had the best way to choose a college EVER by shaving it into the back of his head, along with Poythress and Archie Goodwin.
Sad that they cancelled their home and home with UNC to play in the "Champions Classic" or whatever, but hopefully they will get their chance next year to repeat(where they will hopefully come up one short as my Heels take back what belongs to them and pick up #6!)
Thanks for reading. Make sure to leave a comment or tweet me @mhirn3
