For Dyed-In-The-Wool Kentucky Fans Only

[George]

Love the superstars...but Kentucky Basketball is better when there is at least one kid playing from Kentucky.

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) March 12, 2017

Ain't it the truth?

[KevinHall]

I agree. makes it a little more special.

[Lighthouse]

We should insist on at least one Kentucky player every year. Will there be any next year?

[Catsrock]

Might have to call Brad homegrown though he went to prep school in Boston. Grew up here a few years anyway. Don't see any late additions from KY like Dom was added after sweet 16.

[George]

New Story || UK's national title teams all had at least 1 in-state guy making big contributions. These Cats have 2. https://t.co/vmdbbexZ1U

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_AJC) March 12, 2017

[TrueblueCATfan]

Having those Kentucky boys to me just makes the team more special

[Lighthouse]

Having those Kentucky boys to me just makes the team more special

Special and necessary. After all who else is going to explain to a kid from Texas or California how important that KENTUCKY on you jersey is.

[Jeff ROCKober]

Hawkins and Willis proved many wrong that they would barely see the floor. I am glad they stayed and have done Kentucky fans proud. It is great to see Kentucky kids living out their dreams.

[J.Jennings]

Shaking my head, some people talk out of both sides of they mouth. After all these years they just now figuring this out? I love the super stars but these ky kids who grow up here know exactly what it means to Kentucky basketball, the state, the fans, and all the memories of the past and hopefully new memories down the road..

[Westtncat]

Hawkins is the perfect example of play until the buzzer sounds.

[Jload]

Every great team needs role players, getting Burger Boys to come off the bench must be a chore, Hawkins is finally healthy, been fighting illness and injury most of his career here. Willis is playing with confidence for first time in his career. It is a good thing because we go nowhere in tournament without them contributing, if they keep playing at current level we have a shot at competing for a title. The key to tourney IMO is keeping Bam out of foul trouble and on the floor. He gets in foul trouble in tourney past round of 32 and we are screwed, truest the only player we cannot replace of the bench.

[Joneslab]

We should insist on at least one Kentucky player every year. Will there be any next year?

Probably just Dillon Pulliam, who's from Cynthiana.

[SBCatMan]

I'm a little torn on this one. I fully understand the sentiment of having in-state kids on the team, I see the stats about not having won a title without in-state kids and I totally recognize the contributions of Hawkins and Willis ... and Darrius Miller on the last title team. I mean, yes, I get it. But, I am not sure this is a very productive thread -- especially this time of year. Fact is, we need a huge contribution from 7 or 8 guys if we are going to win number 9, and most of those kids are not from Kentucky.

I consider myself as big a Kentucky fan as anyone. I will spare you the details, but they could fill volumes. And, I have never lived in Kentucky.

Another very troubling reality is that, for the most part, the state of Kentucky is not producing much basketball talent these days. When is the last time the Kentucky high school kids beat the Indiana high school kids? When is the last time they even came close? Do not get me wrong -- while I live in Indiana, and always have, I pull for Kentucky even in the HS all-star game. Ironically, over the past decade or so, the state of Kentucky has produced WAY more football talent than basketball talent, and I do not think it is even close. Folks may call us a "basketball school," but Kentucky has become more of a football state.

So yeah, in-state kids are GREAT. And in-state kids fully understand what that name on the FRONT of the jersey represents. And it is fun to pull for those kids and so gratifying to see them do well, as Hawkins and Willis are doing now. But, it looks like we are going to be dependent on those burger boys for the foreseeable future. We need to make them feel welcome and at home.

[Joneslab]

I'm a little torn on this one. I fully understand the sentiment of having in-state kids on the team, I see the stats about not having won a title without in-state kids and I totally recognize the contributions of Hawkins and Willis ... and Darrius Miller on the last title team. I mean, yes, I get it. But, I am not sure this is a very productive thread -- especially this time of year. Fact is, we need a huge contribution from 7 or 8 guys if we are going to win number 9, and most of those kids are not from Kentucky.

I consider myself as big a Kentucky fan as anyone. I will spare you the details, but they could fill volumes. And, I have never lived in Kentucky.

Another very troubling reality is that, for the most part, the state of Kentucky is not producing much basketball talent these days. When is the last time the Kentucky high school kids beat the Indiana high school kids? When is the last time they even came close? Do not get me wrong -- while I live in Indiana, and always have, I pull for Kentucky even in the HS all-star game. Ironically, over the past decade or so, the state of Kentucky has produced WAY more football talent than basketball talent, and I do not think it is even close. Folks may call us a "basketball school," but Kentucky has become more of a football state.

So yeah, in-state kids are GREAT. And in-state kids fully understand what that name on the FRONT of the jersey represents. And it is fun to pull for those kids and so gratifying to see them do well, as Hawkins and Willis are doing now. But, it looks like we are going to be dependent on those burger boys for the foreseeable future. We need to make them feel welcome and at home.

Good post.

The quality of Kentucky high school basketball has long perplexed me. I don't understand why there's such a void of talent in this state. It's partly demographics...but then you look at Louisville, which is borderline putrid in terms of top-shelf talent and has been for years.

And yet players like Hawkins and Willis are out there. Those are solid guys who Cal could land and in a lot of cases has tried to land. He didn't make a hard run at Hollingsworth this year for whatever reason, but I've also heard that that kid's family didn't really see himself as a wait-his-turn type. If you're bringing in five-stars then you have to be able to convince in-state kids that they're probably going to have to wait their turn, like Hawkins and Willis have done. That's not an easy sell in an age where so many of these players believe they are just as good as McDonald's All-Americans.

[Spiritof96]

JP Blevins disagrees about the necessity of having in-state players getting significant minutes....