Kentucky Recruiting Open Thread

[lilproUK98]

UK never had a chance with Lively. Cal was getting bad info, again. Hence Lively committing to Duke so abruptly. Duke wanted to make a statement while UK had the spotlight and pushed for Lively to go ahead and commit. EVERYONE expected Lively's recruitment to last into the Spring. UK never had a shot with Lively and was giving Bona mixed signals.

Cal indeed had the bird in the hand but screwed it up by continuing to pursue Lively without much of a chance at getting him. This isn't the first time this has happened.

[justford]

UK never had a chance with Lively. Cal was getting bad info, again. Hence Lively committing to Duke so abruptly. Duke wanted to make a statement while UK had the spotlight and pushed for Lively to go ahead and commit. EVERYONE expected Lively's recruitment to last into the Spring. UK never had a shot with Lively and was giving Bona mixed signals.

Cal indeed had the bird in the hand but screwed it up by continuing to pursue Lively without much of a chance at getting him. This isn't the first time this has happened.

Where is the bad info coming from?

[lilproUK98]

Where is the bad info coming from?

Usually what happens is he gets one bit of positive feedback or vibe from someone in the circle or through an assistant and runs with it and gets greedy. That's what I have been told multiple times. He is extremely confident, for good reason, when it comes to recruiting. But it also bites him from time to time.

[85 Fly]

I said from day one that I would be pleasantly surprised if we landed Lively. I always thought it would be Michigan (which I wouldn't fault him for having Coach Howard get him ready for the next level) or Duke... I always thought he would be perfect for us, but I never saw him seeing himself perfect for us...if that makes any sense? It was something about his demeanor that my gut said nah, he's not coming to UK.

[lilproUK98]

In other news, according to Travis Graf, Sharpe may now be coming in two weeks.... 👀

Extremely interesting if true

[lilproUK98]

In other news, according to Travis Graf, Sharpe may now be coming in two weeks.... 👀

Extremely interesting if true

I think there is a world where Sharpe comes in two weeks, starts playing in late December, and leaves for the draft in the Spring. And I'm totally ok with that.

especially since that scenario makes UK one of the favorites to cut down all the nets.

[Joneslab]

That would be wild.

It's only a thing that can be really figured out in hindsight.

If, looking back in April, we win the championship with Sharpe and he leaves...great.

If, looking back in April, we make it to the Elite Eight with Sharpe and then he leaves...eh, not so great.

If, looking back in April, we make the Sweet 16 with Sharpe practicing only and then he leaves...terrible.

Impossible to read the situation here in October. So many unknowns. The only thing that's clear to me--and that MAY be clear to the coaching staff--is that this roster doesn't have that true NBA stud. Could Sharpe be that guy as an 18-year-old who joined the team late? Impossible to say.

[Catsrock]

Usually what happens is he gets one bit of positive feedback or vibe from someone in the circle or through an assistant and runs with it and gets greedy. That's what I have been told multiple times. He is extremely confident, for good reason, when it comes to recruiting. But it also bites him from time to time.

If that’s all it takes to create misses on the “birds in hand” then that would be 100% on Cal with no blame on assistants and bad information. What kid has ever been recruited where one former AAU coach or maybe an uncle has not said something along the lines of “I like what you have to say Coach?”

And for several years the misses have been more than “from time to time.”

[lilproUK98]

If that’s all it takes to create misses on the “birds in hand” then that would be 100% on Cal with no blame on assistants and bad information. What kid has ever been recruited where one former AAU coach or maybe an uncle has not said something along the lines of “I like what you have to say Coach?”

And for several years the misses have been more than “from time to time.”

Well, I still give him a ton of credit for the recruiting he has done, even recently. But some say there is a always a "grand plan" and Cal's always in complete control, and that's just not the case.

[lilproUK98]

That would be wild.

It's only a thing that can be really figured out in hindsight.

If, looking back in April, we win the championship with Sharpe and he leaves...great.

If, looking back in April, we make it to the Elite Eight with Sharpe and then he leaves...eh, not so great.

If, looking back in April, we make the Sweet 16 with Sharpe practicing only and then he leaves...terrible.

Impossible to read the situation here in October. So many unknowns. The only thing that's clear to me--and that MAY be clear to the coaching staff--is that this roster doesn't have that true NBA stud. Could Sharpe be that guy as an 18-year-old who joined the team late? Impossible to say.

I'd feel bad for someone like Wheeler and Mintz who would be directly affected. I like Mintz alot and I want him to shine this season maybe more than anyone for what he went through last season and still decided to return to truly experience UK basketball at his age.

But, If those guys are okay with going on a ride with Sharpe and Tyty likely leading the way, then God bless them. Chances are it'll be a helluva ride and UK would have their best chance since 15 or 17 of getting to the FF and winning it all, IMO.

[George]

I felt okay about this when it looked like he wouldn’t be draft eligible after this season, but apparently that isn’t the case. It’s getting harder to imagine him in a UK uniform beyond the ‘21-‘22 season, especially if he plays in the spring.

Frankly, it’s BS.

[Dwight Schrute]

I felt okay about this when it looked like he wouldn’t be draft eligible after this season, but apparently that isn’t the case. It’s getting harder to imagine him in a UK uniform beyond the ‘21-‘22 season, especially if he plays in the spring.

Frankly, it’s BS.

Yeah...if he plays and we are successful then I'll ultimately be okay with it. But it sounds like the staff is a little leery as well.

[George]

I also don’t like the wording of one of the reports I read: “Cal was informed of this…” very recently. Not “Cal signed off on this” or something along those lines. I really hope this thing isn’t getting away from him.

[DA#23]

I also don’t like the wording of one of the reports I read: “Cal was informed of this…” very recently. Not “Cal signed off on this” or something along those lines. I really hope this thing isn’t getting away from him.

Start flooding the internet with NIL deals, details of deals, and proceeds of deals and this was bound to happen.

I'll be astonished if he doesn't enter the 2022 draft.

[George]

Start flooding the internet with NIL deals, details of deals, and proceeds of deals and this was bound to happen.

I'll be astonished if he doesn't enter the 2022 draft.

At this rate, yeah. Me, too.