Quade Green to Transfer

[surveyor]

I always felt like concern over Davis' build was negated by his athleticism. Kevin Garnett was the same way.

Davis is over 30 lbs heavier in the NBA than he was at Kentucky.

[Joneslab]

I always felt like concern over Davis' build was negated by his athleticism. Kevin Garnett was the same way.

Davis also had an insane amount of skill. Is the best catcher of the basketball I have ever seen play the game. Catching the ball is such an underrated skill for a big man and Davis had it almost mastered at 18 years old. I saw him catch a pass during a Tennessee game once that I still think about maybe two times a week.

[Joneslab]

^ But having said that you see guys with Davis's build excelling all over.

The game is really stretched out now. That traditional game where teams just rammed it into the post is rare (though we're still playing it at UK with this team). Now teams will just pull everybody out to the three-point line and either drive or shoot a three. You don't have to be Charles Atlas to play that style.

[Spiritof96]

True but you notice the same phenomenon in college. I remember people talking about how Anthony Davis was going to struggle because he was too skinny. Or how Kevin Durant was going to be a bust because he couldn't bench press. And so on.

Just seems like as the game has stretched out and become more spread to the edges (mimicking the international game), long and skinny guys can really dominate.

They aren’t dominating because they are skinny. Skinny is conferring no benefit. Over 90 ft, skinny doesn’t equate to fast or quick. Strong does.

[Dwight Schrute]

Every once in a while I think about how Shaq would fare in today's NBA where the players are more Anthony Davis like. Shaq was huge in his time - when the NBA was much more of a half court game was one thing, but today's NBA is a completely different ballgame.

On the same token, it's interesting to think about how Rick Pitino's offense would do in the NBA of today.

[justford]

Do you want to get jacked as a basketball player? Seems like lean muscularity and litheness are "in" these days.

Obviously you need to be strong but length and agility can't be understated. I've sat in a ton of gyms just over the last two weeks watching my son play; long-armed skinny guys dominate basketball games.

With Quade I think they saw his footspeed as a major problem and tried to get him to cut weight to help him. Maybe helped a little but not much. He just doesn't have the juice.

Zion says hello

[Dwight Schrute]

Zion says hello

But Zion is a freak of nature (who I love watching).

[justford]

Let me just point something out about this.

What you're saying here really doesn't tell a complete story. I agree that Cal wants pros, but he thinks getting pros is the best way to win college basketball games.

And he's right. I don't care who the coach is at Kentucky, that guy has to bring in NBA players. He'll have to do at least some lip service to the NBA and he'll have to have these pro days and so on. That's completely non-negotiable. If you aren't getting pros with all the amenities UK has then you might as well not even field a team. The whole thing that has irked Kentucky fans about players talking about their NBA dreams and so on--that has to continue. That isn't a Cal thing, that's a cultural thing. We can maybe recruit the state of Kentucky better and we can definitely put more emphasis on staying in school for an entire four-year career, but the core of this program needs to be players who have an extremely high ceiling that will take them on to professional basketball.

Cal's problem is that he oversells the NBA and I think it has started to hurt him even with players who want to be one-and-done. It's almost like he went too far with it and families--many of whom really do value education; we know that because they often talk about once their son has signed somewhere--started to kind of sour on UK. Cal became way too one dimensional. The NBA thing was the only tool in the toolbox.

But if Cal left tomorrow whoever the next guy is better recruit toward the NBA and keep building UK as a brand that will entice elite players.

Even though they say it is, can't see education being important to one and done players or their family.

[surveyor]

Even though they say it is, can't see education being important to one and done players or their family.

I would agree with that if these kids were not attending school for at least one year. By accepting a scholarship they know they have access to a full education if the NBA doesn't work out.

[J.Jennings]

Every once in a while I think about how Shaq would fare in today's NBA where the players are more Anthony Davis like. Shaq was huge in his time - when the NBA was much more of a half court game was one thing, but today's NBA is a completely different ballgame.

On the same token, it's interesting to think about how Rick Pitino's offense would do in the NBA of today.

The year after Rick was fired from Boston, the NBA changed it's defensive rules and 20 years later, this is what you get. I actually think Rick was a year late and a pinp pong ball away from having a very successfull NBA career...

[J.Jennings]

^ But having said that you see guys with Davis's build excelling all over.

The game is really stretched out now. That traditional game where teams just rammed it into the post is rare (though we're still playing it at UK with this team). Now teams will just pull everybody out to the three-point line and either drive or shoot a three. You don't have to be Charles Atlas to play that style.

NBA scouts look at shooting, scoring, passing, and dribbling the ball, size strength and all that other stuff is second hand now. I could name off a list of NBA centers who have implemented 3 point shooting as part of there game now the past few years, the center from Toronto comes to mind 1st..

[J.Jennings]

Zion says hello

Zion is in the same class as Lebron as a freak human specimen, just a freak of nature and very rare. I think Larry Johnson was sort of like that back in the day but without the hops...

[J.Jennings]

^ But having said that you see guys with Davis's build excelling all over.

The game is really stretched out now. That traditional game where teams just rammed it into the post is rare (though we're still playing it at UK with this team). Now teams will just pull everybody out to the three-point line and either drive or shoot a three. You don't have to be Charles Atlas to play that style.

And that's my problem with Cal, still playing old school basketball throwing it in the post teaching rebounding and defense, nothing wrong with that but that's not how it is today and to be honest, players don't want to play that kind of basketball which is why i think we lose recruits.....

[ralph helm]

If the NBA refs called offensive fouls right SHAQ would have never lasted until halftime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ralph helm]

Just a gut feeling but a have a very uneasy feeling about the next three games& starting SEC play can be an introduction to murderers row!!!!!!!!!