Blackshear

[lilproUK98]

Would be nice if UK can get the commitment while he's on campus.

Weird things might happen if he visits Texas A&M. Nostalgia might kick in, Buzz may work on the family, who knows. Anything can happen.

Needs to get done this evening or tomorrow.

If it does, I like Kentucky as the #1 team in the preseason. Sort of right back where we were last year in terms of what the roster looks like*. The only advantage this team has is that I don't think the overall field is even close to as strong as it was a year ago.

* Kentucky will have quite a bit more experience than a year ago. Oddly, if Blackshear comes, Kentucky will have a lot of experience period and you won't be able to just say "Kentucky has a lot of experience for Kentucky." That'll be...weird.

Team will have an abundance of everything except elite rim protection, but our perimeter and wing defense should be strong enough to keep guys from getting to the basket with much consistency.

Will be UK's most well-rounded team since 2014-15 and it's best chance at a title, especially given the competition next year, as you mentioned.

[Dwight Schrute]

I think if Blackshear comes, next year's team has the potential to be up there with the 2015 team and the title team in 2012.

[Catsrock]

5th year Blackshear is better than Freshman Wiseman

I said this about Reid Travis over a Zion or Barret. I was way off and wouldn't expect that from Blackshear.

[Joneslab]

Going back to Wiseman.

The thing about reeling in blue chip freshmen is that the risk/reward tilts very high toward the reward.

You never know which one of these elite prospects will be the next Zion or Trae Young.

Yes, Zion was a one-in-a-million. But there is almost always this freshman (or two) who becomes an all-American and is a much better college player than even the recruiting experts thought.

Wiseman may be that guy this year. It could even be somebody like Tyrese Maxey. But the thing about rolling the dice on these freshmen is that you never know which one of them is going to get college coaching and just blow up.

Blackshear will be great but he's a known commodity at this point. Yes, he could make a jump...but if I had to bet I'd say you can pencil him in for a solid guy. A la Reid Travis.

Players like Wiseman are enticing because they have so much upside. Sometimes it goes the opposite way (Skal) and they don't play hard or they don't react well to the speed of the D1 game. But at least one of these can't-miss freshmen is going to be the kind of player who is just superior to almost everybody he steps on the court against. It could be Stewart, it could be Anthony Edwards, could be Wiseman or Maxey--but somebody is going to break out and make everybody who missed on him cringe.

[Lighthouse]

Of course not. My point is that Jworld puts entirely too much emphasis on professional potential when speaking of the players we need. The bottom line is every great college team has had very good role players who helped win the title.

I understood your point, but it did take a "once in a lifetime" recruit to nail it down.

[Dwight Schrute]

I said this about Reid Travis over a Zion or Barret. I was way off and wouldn't expect that from Blackshear.

I actually wasn't ever truly impressed by RJ Barret, but yeah, saying that about Zion was a bit off.

[Dwight Schrute]

Going back to Wiseman.

The thing about reeling in blue chip freshmen is that the risk/reward tilts very high toward the reward.

You never know which one of these elite prospects will be the next Zion or Trae Young.

Yes, Zion was a one-in-a-million. But there is almost always this freshman (or two) who becomes an all-American and is a much better college player than even the recruiting experts thought.

Wiseman may be that guy this year. It could even be somebody like Tyrese Maxey. But the thing about rolling the dice on these freshmen is that you never know which one of them is going to get college coaching and just blow up.

Blackshear will be great but he's a known commodity at this point. Yes, he could make a jump...but if I had to bet I'd say you can pencil him in for a solid guy. A la Reid Travis.

Players like Wiseman are enticing because they have so much upside. Sometimes it goes the opposite way (Skal) and they don't play hard or they don't react well to the speed of the D1 game. But at least one of these can't-miss freshmen is going to be the kind of player who is just superior to almost everybody he steps on the court against. It could be Stewart, it could be Anthony Edwards, could be Wiseman or Maxey--but somebody is going to break out and make everybody who missed on him cringe.

Zion became a generational player. Arguably one of the 3 best of the last 20 years with Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis.

Amazing how much you could miss on a guy ranked in the top 10 in his class.

[Catsrock]

I actually wasn't ever truly impressed by RJ Barret, but yeah, saying that about Zion was a bit off.

The main thing we got from Reid was leadership. Barrett has limitations but broke the ACC freshman scoring record. If he could go to his right he'd be a terror.

[J.Jennings]

Zion became a generational player. Arguably one of the 3 best of the last 20 years with Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis.

Amazing how much you could miss on a guy ranked in the top 10 in his class.

We shall see, curious to see what position he plays in pro's? Great exploside leaper who to me is a Larry Johnson prototype with a litle more weight and leaping ability, it's not like we have never seen something like this before.....

[SCBlu]

Don't forget, Nick has had some pretty good games in the past, has to learn how to stay out of foul trouble and stop hanging his head. By all accounts Nick is known as the hardest worker in practice, he's also still learning organized basketball, hasn't played many years, maybe this year it clicks? Regardless you have to have shot altering rim protection at some point, especially when Cal goes to stall ball and slows it down....

I don't want to hinge this year's success on a "maybe" this, or "maybe" that. I'd take a proven player (Blackledge) over a developing player (Richards) any day of the year. Come on Cal. Do your magic!

[Dwight Schrute]

We shall see, curious to see what position he plays in pro's? Great exploside leaper who to me is a Larry Johnson prototype with a litle more weight and leaping ability, it's not like we have never seen something like this before.....

Maybe. If he stays healthy he could be a transcendent talent.

[lilproUK98]

BTW, Nick Richards will never be doing this stuff.

https://youtu.be/4_Vg_umTnVA

[J.Jennings]

I don't want to hinge this year's success on a "maybe" this, or "maybe" that. I'd take a proven player (Blackledge) over a developing player (Richards) any day of the year. Come on Cal. Do your magic!

Again if we miss on BLACKSHEAR should we just pack it in forfeit and call it a day? Coaches get paid to coach and Cal gets paid the most, 98% of college coaches would love to have the roster we have right now as we speak without BLACKSHEAR. I would feel better with 4 at the PF/C slot for depth but not all is lost if not...

[Dwight Schrute]

Again if we miss on BLACKSHEAR should we just pack it in forfeit and call it a day? Coaches get paid to coach and Cal gets paid the most, 98% of college coaches would love to have the roster we have right now as we speak without BLACKSHEAR. I would feel better with 4 at the PF/C slot for depth but not all is lost if not...

No, but things have to go right if we're going to call ourselves a real contender for next year.

Blackshear gives us skill and strength at every position on the floor.

[Joneslab]

If we miss on Blackshear I think we'll look a lot like we did in the Ulis/Murray year.

Probably a top 15ish type team but one that will have to get excellent play from its guards to beat good teams.

Land Blackshear and we'll have much more of a room for error. I think he puts us up to the point where we're a top 5 team on paper. The times I've felt that way about UK in the preseason have been 2010 (Elite 8), 2012 (championship), 2014 (runner-up), 2015 (Final Four), 2017 (Elite 8), and 2019 (Elite 8).