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

[Joneslab]

Multiple people saying that Kentucky is going to add a graduate transfer very soon. No name yet that I've seen.

Some speculation that this may be Creighton's Davion Mintz. He didn't play last year because of injury but started every game as a junior. Averaged about 10 points and 3 assists. Shot 35% from three.

[KCKUKFan]

It will be Creighton's Davion Mintz.

Consider me unimpressed, although it sounds like essentially Johnny Juzang.

[Joneslab]

It will be Creighton's Davion Mintz.

Consider me unimpressed, although it sounds like essentially Johnny Juzang.

Needed a point guard though, and this guy has played a lot of point in the Big East. Also: will be 22 in June.

[JFCats22]

It will be Creighton's Davion Mintz.

Consider me unimpressed, although it sounds like essentially Johnny Juzang.

Yeah, major MEH for me. Could certainly be a backup/small role player but I don't see him providing much. Doesn't seem to do any one thing particularly well.

[Joneslab]

Yeah, major MEH for me. Could certainly be a backup/small role player but I don't see him providing much. Doesn't seem to do any one thing particularly well.

Neither does Matt Haarms, honestly. (Though 2 blocks in 17 minutes per is pretty solid. But you wonder why he was only playing 17 minutes per for Purdue.)

What you have to hope with these players is not that you're getting a star. If they were stars they wouldn't be on the transfer market and would be moving on to play professionally. What you hope is that you've found a player who might come into his own when he hits 22 years old. And Kentucky as we all know badly needs 22-/23-year-olds in its program.

The chance to land a jaw-dropping player who's going to profoundly impact the program passed months ago.

[JFCats22]

Neither does Matt Haarms, honestly. (Though 2 blocks in 17 minutes per is pretty solid. But you wonder why he was only playing 17 minutes per for Purdue.)

What you have to hope with these players is not that you're getting a star. If they were stars they wouldn't be on the transfer market and would be moving on to play professionally. What you hope is that you've found a player who might come into his own when he hits 22 years old. And Kentucky as we all know badly needs 22-/23-year-olds in its program.

The chance to land a jaw-dropping player who's going to profoundly impact the program passed months ago.

Totally agree. But I am not talking about a jaw dropping guy. I am talking about a contribution closer to Reid Travis versus Sestina. And I think this guy will give even less to the team than Sestina did. ESPN rates him the #33 transfer, Rivals has him at #17. There are a LOT of better guard options that were out there.

[DA#23]

This isn’t where Kentucky should be in its 11th season with John Calipari.

It just isn’t.

[Joneslab]

I liked Sestina a lot actually. There were a few games he for some reason just couldn't play in. But for the most part he was really good for this program.

Those kind of guys are about on par with what you generally get with these grad transfers. Reid Travis was a little bit out of the norm. Those transfer rankings are going to catch so many players who are essentially the same player because they're mostly in very similar situations. Way more important that the player is a good fit on the team and is willing to work.

[Joneslab]

This isn’t where Kentucky should be in its 11th season with John Calipari.

It just isn’t.

No choice. Have to round out the roster at this point.

I do think Kentucky is in better shape than it was last year at this time, primarily because we have two straight ballers coming in. I tend to think Boston will be an all-American type. He's one of the few UK players that I've actually seen play with my own eyes in the Cal era (maybe the only one). Shockingly good.

What you have to hope is that those guys are as advertised and that we can put enough parts around them so that we're a contender. If Haarms comes and Montgomery returns, and if the freshmen are as advertised then Kentucky should be #1 in the preseason.

[Joneslab]

Going back to Mintz, I do notice that he had 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists against eventual national champion Villanova in a game two years ago.

[KCKUKFan]

What you have to hope is that those guys are as advertised and that we can put enough parts around them so that we're a contender. If Haarms comes and Montgomery returns, and if the freshmen are as advertised then Kentucky should be #1 in the preseason.

That's a lot of "ifs," but starting the season ranked #1 is where Kentucky is supposed to be.

[DA#23]

Preseason rank all you want. We lost to Evansville at Rupp just a few months ago, and we saw how the big UK-Michigan State game aged.

I don't think we should be in such a precarious situation every year.

[Joneslab]

Preseason rank all you want. We lost to Evansville at Rupp just a few months ago, and we saw how the big UK-Michigan State game aged

That Michigan St. game didn't age that much. They were a top 10 team at the end.

I don't think things are that dire really. I also don't really mind taking a guy like this transfer because I like old guys in a program that can only get old guys if it goes out and searches for them.

If you can't keep players then you have to get transfers. And we all know Kentucky can't keep players.

The only thing I see that Cal did poorly this year was miss out on those big men, but Haarms may alleviate some of that.

UK is going to be very good next year IMO. Much better than this past season, and this past season was a real surprise.

[Joneslab]

That's a lot of "ifs," but starting the season ranked #1 is where Kentucky is supposed to be.

Pretty much everybody in America has ifs right now, though. Villanova is probably #1 right now, but they're relying on a guy who transferred from Tulane and Saddiq Bey, who could be a first-round pick.

All this said, Matt Haarms doesn't really strike me as a Kentucky player. As we all know Calipari is trying to land positionless players. 7'3" guys are sort of the opposite of positionless.

[DA#23]

I'm not saying we're in a dire situation, but we certainly aren't trending upward. We're not going to win another championship unless there is a change in approach, which I think needs a staff shakeup. I also sincerely doubt another FF unless we achieve some roster stability ... which again speaks to confidence in the staff.

This isn't UK 2006-2009, but it also isn't what we considered elite.