WHO IS STAYING? (ANSWER: Green, Richards, Washington, Baker)

[Joneslab]

Now Reid Travis watch is officially on.

[SCBlu]

Mr Travis.............COME ON DOWN !!!!!!

[SBCatMan]

It is somewhat puzzling that the only guy with even a remote chance of being drafted — Washington — decides to return while the two guys with virtually no chance at all of being drafted, by the NBA at least, stay in. Oh well, life is strange.

[JFCats22]

Vanderbilt will go down as maybe the most forgettable and frustrating player at UK for me.

This decision is mind boggling dumb, IMO. No chance he is drafted. Becomes the first one and done to not be a 1st round pick.

[KCKUKFan]

Boy, I really called this one. Washington, Travis to Kentucky. Vanderbilt, Gabriel gone.

[Joneslab]

It is somewhat puzzling that the only guy with even a remote chance of being drafted — Washington — decides to return while the two guys with virtually no chance at all of being drafted, by the NBA at least, stay in. Oh well, life is strange.

Jonathan Wasserman says Vanderbilt may go between 45th and last in the draft.

A lot of weird stuff happens at the very end. I think a team might take Vanderbilt just to see if they can develop him.

Very, very weird player. I wonder if we'll ever get the full story on his injury.

[Joneslab]

Assuming Kentucky gets Travis and Hagans reclassifies that's a stacked team.

Only issue I see is outside shooting. Herro and Baker both need to be able to give UK something off the bench. No Wenyen Gabriel opens the door for Montgomery to play that stretch role.

Hard to find many weaknesses behind that. If Hagans is as good as they say then Kentucky could be the clear favorite to win it all if we can find a consistent outside threat.

[Dwight Schrute]

I guess if you’re Vanderbilt, the calculus is that late second round is better than reinjuring your foot for a 3rd time.

Seems like a bad move but whatever. Nice knowing ya.

[Joneslab]

A UK site that I don't know and can't really vouch for says on Twitter that Reid Travis may visit Kentucky tomorrow.

[Catsrock]

Assuming Kentucky gets Travis and Hagans reclassifies that's a stacked team.

Only issue I see is outside shooting. Herro and Baker both need to be able to give UK something off the bench. No Wenyen Gabriel opens the door for Montgomery to play that stretch role.

Hard to find many weaknesses behind that. If Hagans is as good as they say then Kentucky could be the clear favorite to win it all if we can find a consistent outside threat.

Strangely enough if Travis comes in we may be so deep at PG/combo guard AND front court that the 2 guys who could fill last year's most glaring hole may not see the court much--Baker and Herro may not shoot enough to matter.

However we may be good enough we'd only need 3's when trying to dig out of a hole late in a few games.

[teamchemistry15]

Boy, I really called this one. Washington, Travis to Kentucky. Vanderbilt, Gabriel gone.

You never answered if you were just guessing or have a source.

[KevinHall]

Little surprised by Washington coming back. I think they were looking for some hope of a guarantee by someone and never got it. I figured all along Gabriel would go. He and his family are from Sudan. Just a God awful country where most are dirt poor starving. $50,000 a year playing anywhere will look marvelous to them.
I have a conspiracy theory about Vanderbilt's 2nd "injury" this past season but I will keep it to myself. Probably wasn't it but plausible.
Anyway hopefully there's enough of a veteran presence to get UK back to a Final Four. Green will have to provide a lot of the leadership and hope the freshman will follow. This Reid is very interesting. It probably would be a game changer if he comes to UK. But my bet is that he lands with Villanova. Nova lost a lot off that team and there will be ample playing time for him. He might be one of their feature players to boot. We'll see..... I guess he decides very soon.

[Joneslab]

Little surprised by Washington coming back. I think they were looking for some hope of a guarantee by someone and never got it. I figured all along Gabriel would go. He and his family are from Sudan. Just a God awful country where most are dirt poor starving. $50,000 a year playing anywhere will look marvelous to them.
I have a conspiracy theory about Vanderbilt's 2nd "injury" this past season but I will keep it to myself. Probably wasn't it but plausible.
Anyway hopefully there's enough of a veteran presence to get UK back to a Final Four. Green will have to provide a lot of the leadership and hope the freshman will follow. This Reid is very interesting. It probably would be a game changer if he comes to UK. But my bet is that he lands with Villanova. Nova lost a lot off that team and there will be ample playing time for him. He might be one of their feature players to boot. We'll see..... I guess he decides very soon.

You have to think Kentucky is the leader for Travis because Travis to Kentucky was being rumored months ago.

Doesn't mean he won't go to Villanova, but I just saw Nova mentioned with Travis yesterday. People have been fairly convinced he will be at UK for quite awhile now. It died down a little when Vanderbilt and Gabriel were up in the air but immediately heated up again early yesterday morning literally minutes before it came out he was withdrawing from the draft.

[Joneslab]

I guess if you’re Vanderbilt, the calculus is that late second round is better than reinjuring your foot for a 3rd time.

Yep. Calipari alluded to this very thing last night.

Vanderbilt may be one of those Sam Bowie types who just isn't right for some reason. I'm fairly certain he hurt himself even before he got injured in the all-star game last summer. That's three injuries in about a calendar year.

If he would've returned to UK it would always be in the back of your mind that an injury could happen at any time.

[Joneslab]

Now that it's all shaken out, Kentucky could very well have three undrafted players in this draft. That's a weird place to be and really doesn't fit the definition of "succeed and proceed." I chalk it up to last year's bunch being a weird team and you would hope some lessons are learned going forward with these marginal players.

More ironic is the fact that I think UK could have gotten much better even though we lost what we did.