From Matt Jones: the best explaination for a disasterous month

[JFCats22]

What makes you think he isn't?? How many other 6'9/6'10 guys do you know who can put the ball on the floor and shoot the basketball?

Willis's career shooting #'s: 10/29 for 34% and 6/21 for 28% from three....he is shooting yes, but not making them.

[J.Jennings]

I'd like to see Willis show some passion in regards to wanting to get better, and wanting to seize the opportunity that's there for him.

The very same could be said for Lee. Lee was a highly touted recruit who's had to sit on the bench and basically watch for 2 years now. No doubt in my mind that at some points in time Lee has probably became a little discouraged throughout the waiting game.


Bottomline, if I felt in my mind that I was just as good as you but just couldn't catch a break, I would A. be discouraged or B. exit and move on.

Don't ask me, ask Tyler Ulis and his take on Derek Willis........

[J.Jennings]

There are minutes at both the 3 and the 4 for Willis to win.

He'll have to beat out Matthews and Mulder to win the 3 spot, which is where he'll likely be. Needs to begin by getting stronger. JWORLD has mentioned Sam Dekker a lot: Dekker showed in that Final Four game that he was just a brute. He could take guys down low, put the ball on the floor, or shoot when you gave him room. That's why he's going to be contributing on an NBA team next season.

Willis needs to begin by just adding bulk so that he can play against some of these stronger wings.

Then he needs to get his mind right and focused on the game. I saw him in the North Carolina pregame this year shooting left-handed warm-up shots. One after another. That's not a focused player, but it's hard to stay focused when you're not in the rotation. Definitely needs to put in a whole lot of work if he has a chance to be in the rotation.

The minutes are undoubtedly there for him, but at this level you have to win them.

As for Willis playing Power Forward in spots, really not a bad thing if you think about it. Who says you have to park him down low? Someone mentioned Skal being doubled, well good for him, Poythrees/Lee/ and Willis can benefit from this at the 4 spot. No harm in having Willis play out on the perimeter at the 4 spot if needed. Hell, as far as I am concerned, Cal can do what Tubby did with Jason Parker, spread the floor and put a center in the post.............

[J.Jennings]

Willis's career shooting #'s: 10/29 for 34% and 6/21 for 28% from three....he is shooting yes, but not making them.

And most of those 3's are rushed coming at the end of game by a UK crowd "yelling shoot" every time a white guy touches the ball. Willis played good against semi pros in the Bahammas and shot the ball very well.

[J.Jennings]

That is just nonsense and you know it...or should.

You put Willis and Dekker in the same sentence. Just stop. And there were tons of opportunities for Willis to play this year. Some I blame on Cal when we had big leads in early games and he sat. I mad my distaste for that clear in threads here. Some is on Willis. When Poythress went down, that was his opportunity to show something. He even admitted he lost interest. You can blame some of that on youth for sure but some was on extra-curricular activities as well. (Another story)

Hoping he will transfer to UL just so he abuses UK? What kind of fan are you? Good Lord.

I hope he gets angry about the pecking order and stays in the gym all summer and comes out like he has something to prove. And I hope Cal gives him some opportunities to rise or fall. He needs minutes and if he doesn't earn them this year.....

Do you think Cal was going to hurt his reputation of putting players in the NBA over a 115th ranked kid out of the state of Kentucky? Lyles became the 3 after Poythrees went down and Booker/Harrison split the other time at the 3 spot and understandably so. We can talk about a Willis transfer and I don't think it would be far fetched to see Willis move on and have success like Wiltjer has had at another school. Still doesn't mean that I would like to see Willis torch Kentucky playing for Louisville but I do think he would have overall success at another school.

Regardless, Willis and Dekker are similar in skill sets and size. He may not be as good as Dekker at this point but Willis still has a ceiling of growth. No idea why Cal didn't prepare guys more for this season but that's on Cal.

[teamchemistry15]

Do you think Cal was going to hurt his reputation of putting players in the NBA over a 115th ranked kid out of the state of Kentucky? Lyles became the 3 after Poythrees went down and Booker/Harrison split the other time at the 3 spot and understandably so. We can talk about a Willis transfer and I don't think it would be far fetched to see Willis move on and have success like Wiltjer has had at another school. Still doesn't mean that I would like to see Willis torch Kentucky playing for Louisville but I do think he would have overall success at another school.

Regardless, Willis and Dekker are similar in skill sets and size. He may not be as good as Dekker at this point but Willis still has a ceiling of growth. No idea why Cal didn't prepare guys more for this season but that's on Cal.

Here we go again..... Willis doesn't belong in the same thought process of Dekker. If Cal thought Willis could play, that would only increase his reputation and recruiting weight to say "Hey, I took a white kid from Kentucky who wasnt an AA and put him in the NBA, why wouldn't I do it with you?" Obviously he doesn't think he can contribute much. If you still want to use Willis in the same category as Dekker and Baker, I want some of what you have been taking. The only similarities are their skin color.

[J.Jennings]

Here we go again..... Willis doesn't belong in the same thought process of Dekker. If Cal thought Willis could play, that would only increase his reputation and recruiting weight to say "Hey, I took a white kid from Kentucky who wasnt an AA and put him in the NBA, why wouldn't I do it with you?" Obviously he doesn't think he can contribute much. If you still want to use Willis in the same category as Dekker and Baker, I want some of what you have been taking. The only similarities are their skin color.

I know I know, Derek Willis is trash and you just don't think he is worthy enough to wear a UK uniform. Coach Cal probably thought the same thing about Josh Harrellson being that he was 3 star ALL WORLD recruit coming out of Missouri.

My question is this, when Derek Willis is getting off and contributing to the team the next 2 years, you going to cheer him on or wish he would transfer and leave school???


Derek Willis may not be Sam Dekker but look at Dekker's stats his freshman and sophomore years. His stats are no different than anyone else's, they go up when the minutes go up. Wisconsin beats Kentucky and now all of a sudden Sam Dekker is a world class athlete but no one talks about his defense and how he will get abused at the next level lol lol lol lol

It's okay, I get it.........

[JFCats22]

And most of those 3's are rushed coming at the end of game by a UK crowd "yelling shoot" every time a white guy touches the ball. Willis played good against semi pros in the Bahammas and shot the ball very well.

Yeah, um, no he didn't. He was 3/14 from three in the Bahamas games.

[lilproUK98]

The ONE thing that gives me confidence is having ULIS running the point (and Briscoe is crazy good and a bulldog at the 2)....I love Tyler. Probably my favorite pure point guard we've had in a LONG time.

[J.Jennings]

Yeah, um, no he didn't. He was 3/14 from three in the Bahamas games.

Maybe but at the same time, what does yesterday have to do with today??? Willis will be fine from the outside.

[Joneslab]

The ONE thing that gives me confidence is having ULIS running the point (and Briscoe is crazy good and a bulldog at the 2)....I love Tyler. Probably my favorite pure point guard we've had in a LONG time.

I agree. I thought Ulis was arguably the best player on Kentucky's team for a stretch last season.

He's not going to be a guy that can go out there and get you 15 points a night at his size. He needs to be a pure point guard, and I hope Kentucky has enough options for him to feed next year.

Would have loved to have seen at least one more of those guys along with him. Brown on the wing would've been a guy that Ulis could have really helped.

That was another mistake that those players made by picking other schools. I think they vastly underestimated how good Tyler Ulis could have made them look.

[J.Jennings]

I agree. I thought Ulis was arguably the best player on Kentucky's team for a stretch last season.

He's not going to be a guy that can go out there and get you 15 points a night at his size. He needs to be a pure point guard, and I hope Kentucky has enough options for him to feed next year.

Would have loved to have seen at least one more of those guys along with him. Brown on the wing would've been a guy that Ulis could have really helped.

That was another mistake that those players made by picking other schools. I think they vastly underestimated how good Tyler Ulis could have made them look.

+Good point in regards to Ulis. I think Matthews can be that guy. From everything i read on him, he's a tremendous athlete and his rankings declined because of injury. Ulis is the guy that can make everyone better and score if needed.

[teamchemistry15]

+Good point in regards to Ulis. I think Matthews can be that guy. From everything i read on him, he's a tremendous athlete and his rankings declined because of injury. Ulis is the guy that can make everyone better and score if needed.

You think Matthews can be that guy? You are willing to believe that an incoming freshman will be able to contribute more than a guy who has practiced against pros the last two years? You think Willis is trash then. You probably won't cheer for him and dont like him. It is obvious because you think Matthews is a better option. That means you don't think the white kid from Kentucky is worthy of playing at UK. Willis had the potential to play every position in high school. If given the minutes instead of earning them he could be the next Ron Baker. You people just need to give him a chance.

[teamchemistry15]

Maybe but at the same time, what does yesterday have to do with today??? Willis will be fine from the outside.

All he was doing was proving you wrong that he shot the ball well in the Bahamas. I guess he just needed more shots to get in a rhythm.

[Lighthouse]

I've been watching Willis play since his Jr year in HS, and although he can occasionally hit a 3, he's never been a consistent threat out there. He's a good ball handler and a great passer, but he's not a 4 or a 5, he's to weak and I'm not convinced the weight room will help him much especially in the short term. If he had started working on getting stronger when he first got to UK, it might have made a difference before he left.