ESPN analyst has several UK players in NBA Draft update, but the Harrison twins

[Matt Dillon]

ESPN analyst Chad Ford supplied a couple of NBA Draft updates Wednesday, and that meant several mentions of Kentucky players and their pro prospects.
Ford ranked his top 10 NBA prospects at each position based off “conversations with dozens of NBA scouts and GMs,” and six Wildcats were included among those 50 players.
Freshman Karl-Anthony Towns came in as the No. 2 center in the draft (behind Duke’s Jahlil Okafor) and No. 3 overall prospect (behind Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay). Willie Cauley-Stein (No. 3) and Dakari Johnson (No. 7) were also among the top 10 centers.

Ford ranked freshman Trey Lyles as the No. 6 power forward (and No. 18 overall prospect). Fellow freshmen Devin Booker (No. 2 shooting guard; No. 35 overall) and Tyler Ulis (No. 9 point guard; No. 48 overall) were also mentioned.
Alex Poythress, Marcus Lee, Aaron Harrison and Andrew Harrison were all included as “other notable prospects” at their respective positions.

http://ukrecruiting.bloginky.com/2014/12/31/espn-analyst-has-several-uk-players-in-nba-draft-update-but-the-harrison-twins-are-not-in-top-60/

I don't know about anyone else, but the twins have been somewhat of a disappointment, during their time at UK, for me.

[teamchemistry15]

With the exception of the tournament last year, the twins have been a major disappointment to me. They carried in so much hype and, to me, have been average college players. At this pace, they have no business checking into the NBA after this year. Andrew cannot handle a quicker guard. I would argue 80% of starting NBA point guards are faster than him, if not more.

[Joneslab]

I don't think Aaron has been a disappointment.

Andrew has.

To be a great point guard you have to either have great end-to-end athleticism, terrific court vision, or if those two things fail, you just need to be able to shoot the basketball. Andrew really doesn't have any of that. He's got each of those things in pieces, but isn't a complete player. Ulis is far more of a complete player.

Aaron has controlled a bunch of games since he's been at Kentucky. The first few games last year, the tourney games last season, couple of games this year--I think he's been very good for this program.

Neither are the jump-out-at-you pros that we all thought they would be.

[BBNalldayeveryday]

*nods head in agreeance*

[GOCAT15]

Anyone that says anything bad about Aaron needs to get slapped in the face, he only helped us make on of the most memorable tournament runs in history.

If you want to say Andrew has been a disappointment, fine, I can't really argue with that, just due to all the hype he came with.

[kynut]

Andrew and Tyler have almost identical stats to date. Why is it then that Tyler is great and Andrew is awful? Fact is - both point guards are effective in their own way. To this point in the season, either one of them is better than the point guard that took us to a NC. Whatever shortcomings this team has (if any), they have nothing to do with point guard play. We are lucky to have two very good point guards Clutter, clutter. clutter! Don't contribute to the clutter!

kynut

[Matt Dillon]

Anyone that says anything bad about Aaron needs to get slapped in the face, he only helped us make on of the most memorable tournament runs in history.

If you want to say Andrew has been a disappointment, fine, I can't really argue with that, just due to all the hype he came with.

Considering the hype they came in with, and the fact neither is ranked in Ford's top 60, that is disappointing to me. To be quite honest, when they first set foot on campus, I thought they both would be one and dones.

[teamchemistry15]

Anyone that says anything bad about Aaron needs to get slapped in the face, he only helped us make on of the most memorable tournament runs in history.

If you want to say Andrew has been a disappointment, fine, I can't really argue with that, just due to all the hype he came with.

Anyone who thinks Aaron has lived up to his hype coming out of high school deserves that as well. He has been a solid college player, but overall, once again with the exception of the tournament last year, he has been a disappointment compared to what he was expected to be.

[Joneslab]

Nobody should be disappointed that a Kentucky player isn't a one-and-done.

One of the reasons this team is so good is because we've got guys back. The twins are part of that.

One thing they did is change their bodies so they could defend better. Totally different on the defensive end this year, particularly Andrew.

[Matt Dillon]

Anyone who thinks Aaron has lived up to his hype coming out of high school deserves that as well. He has been a solid college player, but overall, once again with the exception of the tournament last year, he has been a disappointment compared to what he was expected to be.

I agree totally.

[DA#23]

Aside from hype, the thing with the Twins is that we were supposed to be getting a ready-made back court that shouldn't have taken as long to gel. Also they were supposed to be very tough players who hated to lose, and I think a lot of people see Andrew playing matador defense and/or stopping after a guy gets a step on him....and that just doesn't sit well.

They're scrutinized a bit too much, but again, that comes with the territory. They peeved a lot of people off on the AAU courts and developed a reputation. Now they have to live up to it.

As far as the NBA goes, again, they don't have impressive physical measurements and those measurements aren't impressive enough to do much for them on the college level unless they're playing well. You can't simply say "they're big guards" or "they're strong" and then watch them play in an uninvolved manner, because then they're non-factors.

I think they be great college players here but they have to work away from the ball and stop looking at the crowd.

[Joneslab]

Anyone who thinks Aaron has lived up to his hype coming out of high school deserves that as well. He has been a solid college player, but overall, once again with the exception of the tournament last year, he has been a disappointment compared to what he was expected to be.

Well, it depends on where you set the hype.

The top four players in that class went to the NBA last year. A handful of other guys. But if you look at the stats, really only Wiggins and Parker are major contributors. A lot of those other guys are just getting spot minutes. Some don't play at all.

If you're setting the bar at Aaron Harrison going to the NBA after one year, then obviously he's not reached that. If you're setting it at being a very solid college basketball player who's averaged double figures both seasons he's been at Kentucky, who has lead one of the best teams Kentucky's ever had in scoring for most of the year through 13 games (WCS just passed him a game or two ago), and who hit two of the biggest shots this program has seen--then IMO he's far surpassed the hype.

Too much is loaded onto these guys in terms of their NBA stock. Some players are just destined to be good in college and that's it. They just have limitations for whatever reason. Some of those they can't help--Aaron and Andrew's lack of athleticism is a major deal. But that's not something they can improve.

[DA#23]

They just have limitations for whatever reason. Some of those they can't help--Aaron and Andrew's lack of athleticism is a major deal. But that's not something they can improve.

I just think they have to overcome that, Will, and thought the same about Lamb (quit laughing). If Ulis doesn't rub off on Andrew then there's the problem case in point.

Michael Jordan had an athletic advantage over 99.9% and played harder than 99.9% of his competition. If you don't have both then you must out work people, and I think Andrew can do that if only he could learn to do so. And then want to do so. He can dribble well enough and could become a very good defender. He can hit open shots. I know he can pass when he's in position and his coach isn't 5 feet out on the court pushing him in the arse to move.

Oh, that was when said coach was 20 lb overweight and running a bum hip. Now who works hard?

[DA#23]

The thing about Andrew is that this season is the perfect learning opportunity for him, whether he realizes it or not. In games all he has to do is distribute, play good D, hit his FT's, and hit some open shots. He doesn't have to account for a big percentage of our points, he has big guys who can run the court and catch the ball without walking, he has people to back him up should he make a mistake defensively, he doesn't have to worry about his fouls nearly as much, has backup on the bench, yada yada.

Individually he has almost every type of player to practice against. The hungry, salivating water bug who can shoot, pass, and never stops moving. The strong guard who is athletic and has a 42" vertical on tap. The big guards who are either very crafty, very good shooters, or simply are on the team to help him develop. All of the big guys to learn against for interior scoring. The premier PG coach. The elite staff in America. The marketing potential of a lifetime.

These are good days to be Andrew Harrison, and I just hope he realizes it. Relishes it.

[Joneslab]

Aaron's fine. He'll play in the NBA. Play well, I'd say, depending on the situation.

The whole conversation is a total non-starter for me as far as he's concerned.

Andrew has a lot to prove. IMO Ulis is the better point guard and the better overall player.

[Joneslab]

But really that isn't a knock because Ulis is probably the second-best player on this team behind WCS.

And speaking of WCS--it was at this time last year that people were saying WCS had quit and hated basketball. I heard many times on this board that he couldn't wait to get out of Kentucky.

People get tunnel vision about these players all the time. A game, a handful of games, a season--we use very small samples to paint a picture of who these guys are. We build entire futures out of high school projections.

You never know what's going to happen. Aaron Harrison last season went from a goat to a guy who saved the program in three weeks.

Chad Ford shouldn't be anyone's barometer of a guy's worth. He over- and under-hypes guys all the time. And "hype" is such an empty, vacuous thing anyway. Some players are just good college players and that's what they're destined to be.

We have nine very good college players, and I'm fine with that. Being disappointed that these guys aren't more than they seems to me a colossal waste of time.