Kentucky at Bama game thread

[Catsrock]

What about next year? Is there a Cunningham in next years class. Only PG I see is Hickman. Are we recruiting any other PG?

Recruiting a Sallis but looking unlikely (likely Gonzaga). May be pushing Clark from the next class to reclassify. I’m on record that PG is not the best spot for kids who are supposed to still be in high school—see Hagans and Askew

My impression is Sallis is good but not on Cunningham’s level.

[KCKUKFan]

I would expect Askew to be back and much improved (and stronger) next year. We might actually get to see him develop.

With that said, I'd feel better with a Sallis or Clarke in there.

[TrueblueCATfan]

Hope everything turns out ok.

Thanks Matt....He tested positive for covid

[Blue Heaven]

Thanks Matt....He tested positive for covid

Ugh!!! Praying and hoping for the best!

[Blue Heaven]

I would expect Askew to be back and much improved (and stronger) next year. We might actually get to see him develop.

With that said, I'd feel better with a Sallis or Clarke in there.

Askew will be a good one in time. Everything I have read says he has a work ethic that is unmatched. He’s just understandably raw right now being he should be in HS. A good start would be not letting his man push him out to the baseline. How many times has he stepped on it this season?

[Matt Dillon]

Thanks Matt....He tested positive for covid

I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm praying he will make a full recovery.

[Los Gatos]

Recruiting a Sallis but looking unlikely (likely Gonzaga). May be pushing Clark from the next class to reclassify. I’m on record that PG is not the best spot for kids who are supposed to still be in high school—see Hagans and Askew

My impression is Sallis is good but not on Cunningham’s level.

Thanks for the information. However, I see Sallis listed as a combo guard and Clark as a shooting guard. Sure would like to see point guard. Yes I know a combo guard can play both, still would like to see a pure point guard.

[Lighthouse]

Thank you..104.5 fever...tested negative for flu...still waiting on covid test....He is only 18 months old and breaks my heart

Praying for your Grandson.

[lilproUK98]

I've found myself expecting nothing positive at this point so I'm not even really disappointed. It's almost like it was at the end of the Gillispie era, where you have such low expectations even a halfway decent game can elicit a "Hmm, that was pretty good."

I had no reaction at all to the Georgia last-second win. I expected it to happen.

Like the rest of us, it's hard to turn the fan button off. I'm sure we'll be sitting there during the SEC Tournament hoping they can somehow magically win it.

But my over-arching feeling about this team is that they're so broken nothing is going to work. That's a terrible place to be as a UK fan but it makes the games a lot less stressful to sit there and watch.

This is what I was getting at a couple months ago on another thread. Many many die hard fans just don't care nearly as much anymore. Just numb. The 22-21 vs ranked teams the last 5+ seasons has contributed to that, and obviously this season has added to the # of fans that have just generally checked out emotionally. It's gonna take a big change to get alot of fans re-engaged.

Like, a final four and some exciting basketball.

[lilproUK98]

Thanks for the information. However, I see Sallis listed as a combo guard and Clark as a shooting guard. Sure would like to see point guard. Yes I know a combo guard can play both, still would like to see a pure point guard.

Clark is much like Maxey. Hickman is much more of a point and may end up being the best point in the class, so we'll see if he's ready to play here. Sallis is going to Gonzaga very likely.

I'd love to be wrong, but Askew will never be an impact lead guard here. And if we're needing him to be, we're in huge trouble.

[teamchemistry15]

Kansas, UNC, Bama (x2)

Still have UT (x2), Texas, Missouri

I was talking about the record. We don't have a record against teams we haven't played yet. Was Bama ranked the first time we played them? The record isn't against teams that were ranked at some point in the year.

[Joneslab]

I'd love to be wrong, but Askew will never be an impact lead guard here. And if we're needing him to be, we're in huge trouble.

I would judge Askew the way we judged players before Cal. I remember guys like Kelenna Azubuike, who couldn’t get on the court as a freshman.

Thing about Askew is that he’s not athletic and so the learning curve is much steeper for him. But he looks like he has the potential to be powerful, and I love his face as he plays. Notice that he’s the one talking to the team in huddles most of the time.

I see something with him but only as a system player who just stays here and gets better. Traditional college player.

[lilproUK98]

I would judge Askew the way we judged players before Cal. I remember guys like Kelenna Azubuike, who couldn’t get on the court as a freshman.

Thing about Askew is that he’s not athletic and so the learning curve is much steeper for him. But he looks like he has the potential to be powerful, and I love his face as he plays. Notice that he’s the one talking to the team in huddles most of the time.

I see something with him but only as a system player who just stays here and gets better. Traditional college player.

Cal said his issues lately are mental, and I would respectfully disagree with him on that.

I'm not getting the comparison with Kelenna and Askew.... He didn't play alot because he had Fitch, Barbour, and Bogans ahead of him, and it was Tubby...what's your point??

Also, we can't judge him like players before Cal because that's not the way Cal runs things. He brought Askew in counting on him being the lead guard, then brought in Mintz hoping maybe he could help because he realized Askew wasn't gone be what he needed. Cal has to have an elite lead guard and he's stuck without one this year.

[DA#23]

^ I’m not Will, but I think his point was that expectations should be more in line with what we used to look at in freshmen. At this point any positive contributions are gravy and should only serve to help build for the future.

Unfortunately with Calipari we learned that there occasionally are freshman that can lead and play way beyond their age...and we’ve come to expect and require it.

[lilproUK98]

^ I’m not Will, but I think his point was that expectations should be more in line with what we used to look at in freshmen. At this point any positive contributions are gravy and should only serve to help build for the future.

Unfortunately with Calipari we learned that there occasionally are freshman that can lead and play way beyond their age...and we’ve come to expect and require it.

Exactly. I understand that. If Cal had gotten Cade this would all be moot. Unfortunately when you don't have returning players and you rely on freshmen being ready and able to handle the college game AND excel, and you miss, this is what you get.