The Annual Who Goes & Who Stays Thread (UPDATE: Everyone to Enter the Draft)

[Joneslab]

Through the middle of the season the Wall team was arguably the best UK team I've seen outside of 2012.

I should say the best UK team coached by Cal.

All these teams get murdered by the '96 Cats. Though I think the 2012 team would beat '98, '97, and probably '93 (though I'd pay a lot of money to see that one).

[J.Jennings]

The problem is that every off-brand of sports is destined to fail.

From the XFL to these farm baseball teams that have been struggling financially for three decades, nobody wants to pay to watch almost-pros.

College basketball is different because there's built-in tradition. Enormous fanbases. The money-machine that is the NCAA Tournament. Etc.

G-League basketball will never catch on unless the NBA just sees it as a training ground for future pros. As a true moneymaker it has absolutely zero to give your average sports fan.

We will see what happens but you throw 125K plus endorsements at a young kid, you never know what you they will do. This pisses me off simply because it hurts Kentucky basketball but can't hide from the reality of what is really going on.

[Catsrock]

Man, I can’t think of a more disappointing or underachieving player in the Cal era than EJ. He has zero business trying to make it as a pro. I assume he’s just tired of school but the nba is a pipe dream for him.

No disrespect as I agree with your sentiment but you only have to go back 1 week when Khalil Whitney declared for a lesser accomplished player.

Hope they both surprise us. Hamidou made a roster but his raw skills were probably a little more translatable than EJ's--more power than finesse.

[Dwight Schrute]

No disrespect as I agree with your sentiment but you only have to go back 1 week when Khalil Whitney declared for a lesser accomplished player.

Hope they both surprise us. Hamidou made a roster but his raw skills were probably a little more translatable than EJ's--more power than finesse.

Well yeah but he was only here for 3 month. EJ was here for two seasons and only in the last month did he stop being a liability.

Hami was drafted though.

[KCKUKFan]

I should say the best UK team coached by Cal.

All these teams get murdered by the '96 Cats. Though I think the 2012 team would beat '98, '97, and probably '93 (though I'd pay a lot of money to see that one).

10 12 and 15 and 17 would all play 96 competitively, if not win.

If Mississippi State, Syracuse and UMass could play that 96 Kentucky team to the buzzer, there's no reason to believe that those three teams couldn't do the same.

[Joneslab]

10 12 and 15 and 17 would all play 96 competitively, if not win.

Jesus Christ, man. No. The quarantine has driven you mad.

[Dwight Schrute]

I think ‘15 might give them all they could handle. I think 2012 would get beat.

[Joneslab]

Don't think '15 could score enough to hang with them.

In the '12 game, Davis would cause problems for Mark Pope, but the inside-outside assault would be too much.

[KCKUKFan]

Jesus Christ, man. No. The quarantine has driven you mad.

Yes.

You ignored my second post. If 96 UMass and Mississippi State could beat 96 Kentucky (and UMass played them to the wire in the Final Four), then what makes you think Cal's 10, 12, or 15 team couldn't do the same? I'm not saying those Cal teams are better than 96 (they're not), but to suggest that they couldn't compete, or even beat, 96 in a given situation isn't silly.

[Joneslab]

Yes.

You ignored my second post. If 96 UMass and Mississippi State could beat 96 Kentucky (and UMass played them to the wire in the Final Four), then what makes you think Cal's 10, 12, or 15 team couldn't do the same? I'm not saying those Cal teams are better than 96 (they're not), but to suggest that they couldn't compete, or even beat, 96 in a given situation isn't silly.

I always assumed that game against Mississippi St. was probably thrown.

But that was obviously a really good Mississippi St. team that went on to the FF. If the 2012 team caught the '96 team like that they'd win.

But the question in these hypotheticals is that the game is played when both teams are at their best. I've never seen another college team like '96 when it was at its best.

[Blue Heaven]

I always assumed that game against Mississippi St. was probably thrown.

But that was obviously a really good Mississippi St. team that went on to the FF. If the 2012 team caught the '96 team like that they'd win.

But the question in these hypotheticals is that the game is played when both teams are at their best. I've never seen another college team like '96 when it was at its best.

I agree. There is a reason that team is regarded as one of the best teams ever. The defense, passing, and will to win was just out of this world. Offense wasn't too shabby either, obviously. I haven't seen a team since that was on that level.

[KCKUKFan]

I agree. There is a reason that team is regarded as one of the best teams ever. The defense, passing, and will to win was just out of this world. Offense wasn't too shabby either, obviously. I haven't seen a team since that was on that level.

96 wouldn't be able to press 2015 like they did. Plus 2015 was huge; obviously 96 wasn't made up of small guys, but I think that size across the court would give them fits in what they liked to do.

[KCKUKFan]

I always assumed that game against Mississippi St. was probably thrown.

But that was obviously a really good Mississippi St. team that went on to the FF. If the 2012 team caught the '96 team like that they'd win.

But the question in these hypotheticals is that the game is played when both teams are at their best. I've never seen another college team like '96 when it was at its best.

I actually watched that Mississippi State game the other day on youtube. Didnt look thrown to me; Kentucky just got whipped, to crib a phrase from our friend Clyde.

Dontay Jones got whatever he wanted.

[Blue Heaven]

96 wouldn't be able to press 2015 like they did. Plus 2015 was huge; obviously 96 wasn't made up of small guys, but I think that size across the court would give them fits in what they liked to do.

The thing about 2015 was that they were stout sefensively when the wanted to. Most of the time they just overwhelmed you with that size. The 96 squad was relentless every single game and they never let up.

[Blue Heaven]

The thing about 2015 was that they were stout sefensively when the wanted to. Most of the time they just overwhelmed you with that size. The 96 squad was relentless every single game and they never let up.

There were also 9 nba players on that team and the avg margin of victory in the post season was over 20ppg. Just a devestating team.