Kentucky on Verge of Recruiting Megaclass?
- Thread starter Random UK Fan
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Lol at all of the sour ass haters in here.
That's hilarious. There shouldn't be a period after Wright State though. That's not the end. 😬
Louisville has won as many tournament games as Kentucky has the past three seasons.
So now you’re wanting to go way back into the history machine? I’m talking during our most recent struggles we’ve kept up with the Calipari train in tournament wins.
Wright St > Bellarmine > St Peters
UK is going after 9 this year and 10 next yr. Whether we do it or not who knows. But we have the horses... and the ville doesn't.
The Peacocks were an elite 8 team. So I missed your logic.
St Peters > UK > WKU > (Wright St && Bellarmine) > Louisiville. Your guys chickened out. We do play Bellermine so that's to be determined. And hopefully your guys don't quit before we get hold of them.
Unfortunately too damn long.
I used to brush off the “All that talent, no result” remarks. Now they’re tough to deny. We‘re overdue.
Everyone acts like winning a Natty is so easy. How many of the 350 Div I colleges have 8 or more National Championships.
Get back to me peons.... But I can see why they hold UK to higher standards. The Gold Standard.
Get back to me peons.... But I can see why they hold UK to higher standards. The Gold Standard.
All my UL family members and friends use the moving historical target...it's cute and convenient. "Well, since 1980 UL is just as good as Kentucky....anything before 1980 doesn't count." Wrong
As far as tournament resumes over the last 3 years...last year was an unmitigated disaster and the year prior was an embarrassment but I think Quickly, Maxey, and Richards would have had UK in Sweet 16 or Elite Eight at least.
UL has been down for a very long time now and while I think Kenny can turn it around I think he's still 2 years away from having a decent tournament run. I worry that his personality won't keep the crazies at bay long enough to let him see it through.
What J. Givony says about the incoming commits;
Edwards' aggressiveness and intensity on both ends of the floor stood out. He got downhill repeatedly for emphatic above-the-rim finishes, made the right reads with several intelligent passes, showed his improving pull-up game while demonstrating good instincts and toughness crashing the glass and jumping passing lanes.
NBA scouts will be intrigued with Edwards' size, length, physicality, two-way versatility and productivity, especially in a class that leaves much to be desired as far as surefire NBA contributors. His ballhandling and perimeter shooting have room to grow, and while turning 20 in the first month of his college career isn't ideal, there's a lot to like about the role-playing potential and high floor Edwards already demonstrates relative to other high school seniors.
While he hasn't grown much in the past year, Wagner is clearly working on his frame. He's one of the best shot creators in the class, showing an impressive ability to change speeds and put pressure on the rim with polished footwork, long strides and outstanding ballhandling ability using either hand, getting to the free throw line at a strong rate thanks to his propensity for seeking out and absorbing contact in the lane.
Wagner's ability to create for teammates and perimeter shooting haven't improved as much as expected since he emerged as an elite-level prospect early in his high school career. He still primarily looks for his own offense operating out of isolation or pick-and-roll with most of his assists coming off simple drive and dish plays to the strong side or extra passes along the perimeter. Considering he only stands 6-3 and is a streaky outside shooter historically (25% 3P% this season, 26% 3P% for his career), that's certainly not ideal for a player most view as a top-five prospect in this class.
Wagner's defense also is a work in progress, especially relative to his dimensions (6-5 wingspan) and the fact that he projects to play quite a bit of shooting guard next season at Kentucky alongside another undersized, ball-dominant guard in Robert Dillingham, who is also not known for his defense or outside shooting.
Not turning 18 until May, Wagner has time to continue to improve his weaknesses, even if it's fair to say his development has stagnated somewhat over the past year relative to the very high expectations he generated.
Sporting a narrow frame with an extremely thin lower body, Bradshaw has a ways to go to hold his own from a physicality standpoint at the college level. He gets pushed around more than you'd like to see from a 7-footer, shying away from contact in the lane and settling for quite a few difficult turnarounds, fadeaways and face-up jumpers, to mixed results. He also isn't much of a passer, as the game often moves too fast for him.
Defensively, Bradshaw doesn't make the impact you might expect relative to his size and length. He struggles to move his feet on the perimeter due to his upright stance, is a mixed bag as a defensive rebounder and rim-protector and gets posted up and scored on frequently by players smaller than him. To his credit, he plays with a very high-intensity level, running the floor with purpose and making an effort to crash the offensive glass with his length and excellent motor. He's also shown clear improvement with his outside shot, is reliable from the free throw line and led the Nike EYBL in dunks with 45 in 25 games. He's clearly been on an upward trajectory the past two years and is a strong communicator who brings a positive spirit on and off the floor.
The margin for error in the modern NBA for thin-framed big men in Bradshaw's mold has never been thinner, as teams expect 7-footers to anchor their defense and also bring a versatile skill set offensively as passers and outside shooters. Bradshaw has a ways to go in those areas and is headed to a Kentucky Wildcats squad next season that will likely be flush with big men options
Justin Edwards | 6-7 | SF
Imhotep Charter | 2023 | Committed to Kentucky
Edwards had one of the single best performances at this year's Hoophall, posting 25 points, 12 rebounds, 6 steals and 4 assists and dominating his matchup in a win over highly regarded wing prospect Ian Jackson.Edwards' aggressiveness and intensity on both ends of the floor stood out. He got downhill repeatedly for emphatic above-the-rim finishes, made the right reads with several intelligent passes, showed his improving pull-up game while demonstrating good instincts and toughness crashing the glass and jumping passing lanes.
NBA scouts will be intrigued with Edwards' size, length, physicality, two-way versatility and productivity, especially in a class that leaves much to be desired as far as surefire NBA contributors. His ballhandling and perimeter shooting have room to grow, and while turning 20 in the first month of his college career isn't ideal, there's a lot to like about the role-playing potential and high floor Edwards already demonstrates relative to other high school seniors.
D.J. Wagner | 6-3 | PG/SG
Camden | 2023 | Committed to Kentucky
Wagner showed positives and negatives in his two-game outing at Hoophall, scoring 27 points in a loss to Corona Centennial and then struggling with efficiency and shot selection in a blowout win over Bishop Gorman.While he hasn't grown much in the past year, Wagner is clearly working on his frame. He's one of the best shot creators in the class, showing an impressive ability to change speeds and put pressure on the rim with polished footwork, long strides and outstanding ballhandling ability using either hand, getting to the free throw line at a strong rate thanks to his propensity for seeking out and absorbing contact in the lane.
Wagner's ability to create for teammates and perimeter shooting haven't improved as much as expected since he emerged as an elite-level prospect early in his high school career. He still primarily looks for his own offense operating out of isolation or pick-and-roll with most of his assists coming off simple drive and dish plays to the strong side or extra passes along the perimeter. Considering he only stands 6-3 and is a streaky outside shooter historically (25% 3P% this season, 26% 3P% for his career), that's certainly not ideal for a player most view as a top-five prospect in this class.
Wagner's defense also is a work in progress, especially relative to his dimensions (6-5 wingspan) and the fact that he projects to play quite a bit of shooting guard next season at Kentucky alongside another undersized, ball-dominant guard in Robert Dillingham, who is also not known for his defense or outside shooting.
Not turning 18 until May, Wagner has time to continue to improve his weaknesses, even if it's fair to say his development has stagnated somewhat over the past year relative to the very high expectations he generated.
Aaron Bradshaw | 7-0 | C
Camden | 2023 | Committed to Kentucky
Sporting a huge size advantage in his Hoophall matchups, Bradshaw was able to dominate the offensive glass, finish emphatically when spoon-fed around the basket and even show some flashes of his improving touch from the perimeter, but did not have the most impressive overall weekend relative to his lofty standing.Sporting a narrow frame with an extremely thin lower body, Bradshaw has a ways to go to hold his own from a physicality standpoint at the college level. He gets pushed around more than you'd like to see from a 7-footer, shying away from contact in the lane and settling for quite a few difficult turnarounds, fadeaways and face-up jumpers, to mixed results. He also isn't much of a passer, as the game often moves too fast for him.
Defensively, Bradshaw doesn't make the impact you might expect relative to his size and length. He struggles to move his feet on the perimeter due to his upright stance, is a mixed bag as a defensive rebounder and rim-protector and gets posted up and scored on frequently by players smaller than him. To his credit, he plays with a very high-intensity level, running the floor with purpose and making an effort to crash the offensive glass with his length and excellent motor. He's also shown clear improvement with his outside shot, is reliable from the free throw line and led the Nike EYBL in dunks with 45 in 25 games. He's clearly been on an upward trajectory the past two years and is a strong communicator who brings a positive spirit on and off the floor.
The margin for error in the modern NBA for thin-framed big men in Bradshaw's mold has never been thinner, as teams expect 7-footers to anchor their defense and also bring a versatile skill set offensively as passers and outside shooters. Bradshaw has a ways to go in those areas and is headed to a Kentucky Wildcats squad next season that will likely be flush with big men options
I don’t follow recruiting like most on here do, so don’t shoot the messenger. A supposed recruiting expert was on the radio this week and mentioned how over all down this year’s class is in super star talent. He mentioned that this Kentucky class is nowhere near the class with Wall or the class with Davis on elite talent. I don’t care if you guys take shots at me or Louisville, but that’s exactly what he said.
But recruiting expert JC for 3 said it IS at that level. Something’s got to give….
Yeah it's not a great class overall. I do like the guards we have coming in and Edward's looks like he could be a stud. We should get CJ, Thiero, and Ugonna back. Wishful thinking but Oscar could come back if he wanted. I'd love to see him with the incoming freshman. I think we'll be really good in transition next year and Oscar runs the floor better than most bigs.
With all freshman led teams though we'll just have to wait and see how they translate to college.
Well, UK certainly isn't recruiting "Dick"s like KU.
All those stars don’t mean anything if our coach doesn’t know how to use them.
I’ve heard this too. If UK fans have learned anything, it’s to not get too hyped over 5* ratings.
Relative to other classes this year, it’s a top tier class.
But yes, the ‘elite’ talent is down in 2023, so it probably won’t stack up well compared to teams that had legit NBA all-stars on them like some of Calipari’s past classes.
For it to be that level, Edwards and Wagner are going to have to be absolute studs from the first time they step on campus
It's also possible to be a down year in talent but still the best class Cal has gotten in a few years.
Lesson lasts until the off-season then it seems to be forgotten. The moment there are any reports of a player coming in and doing well in pickup games the process starts over.
We were really thrown a curveball this year, it wasn't just practice reports, we actually watched them compete in real games over the summer and play really well.
Yeah, we all knew the competition was less than average, but the guys were running nice offense and hitting shots.
Of course the assistant coaches were coaching those games.
Then Cal got involved, played his favorites instead of the best lineups and here we are.
Cal is the common denominator.
4 of your titles came before my parents were bornEveryone acts like winning a Natty is so easy. How many of the 350 Div I colleges have 8 or more National Championships.
Get back to me peons.... But I can see why they hold UK to higher standards. The Gold Standard.
congrats and stuff
are missing tourney's and multiple NIT's in the new millenia the gold standard or?
Kansas claims the helms from 1922, 1923, and a NCAA from 1952.
Not sure that's a great comeback from you.
Not sure that's a great comeback from you.
Which is weird since UK has a higher team 3P% than Kansas.
I can't wait to see his response from this.
But after what happened to KU today, I doubt he'll show up here.
Afterall, he has a purple baby to deliver.
