The Official Keeping Up With Calipari Thread

[Joneslab]

Derek Willis, Dominique Hawkins, Jarrod Polson all had expectations too. And they had good careers. Ravi Moss was a little different because he started as a walk-on, but had a great career.

The truth of Hood's story may be the simplest explanation: just not a UK-caliber player.

That question is going to be asked about Travis Perry a lot as we go on. I hope he sticks it out here but there's an obvious reason why we didn't see him until mop-up time the other day.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Derek Willis, Dominique Hawkins, Jarrod Polson all had expectations too. And they had good careers. Ravi Moss was a little different because he started as a walk-on, but had a great career.

The truth of Hood's story may be the simplest explanation: just not a UK-caliber player.

That question is going to be asked about Travis Perry a lot as we go on. I hope he sticks it out here but there's an obvious reason why we didn't see him until mop-up time the other day.

Travis Perry, he's too slow, but so was Julius Mays.

And yes i agree that at the end of the day, you are either a Kentucky or better yet a SEC player or you are not...

Very seldom do you see players like PERRY make it unless they are absolutely great at something. Still I think Perry can be a ice cold knock down 3 point shooter off the bench. He may not be the most athletic player on the court but he can still contribute.

Does Perry remind anyone of Patrick Sparks??

I don't remember Patrick Sparks getting a rip and coming down the court and break the rim on a fast break dunk. I don't remember Patrick Sparks being a lock down defender. I don't remember Sparks being a prototype 6'4/6'5 guard in the SEC.

[Joneslab]

Sparks was an underrated player at UK imo.

He was a little bigger than Perry. And also had more weight on him, which helped him in the strength department. Not only is Perry small but he's slight. Right now he's very easy to bully, and with his speed/agility issues that's yet another thing he has to overcome.

[DA#23]

Sparks had game. By his senior year he was out of shape, but that guy was really, really darn good.

[Joneslab]

Closest comp to Sparks is Richie Farmer.

Perry's not got a good comp because of his size, and that's a problem. I do think he has game though because how could you not with the HS career he had? Question is can he show the game at UK having to play point guard.

[EKYCat]

I don't know why, but I didn't like Sparks. I think maybe it was because my boss at the time was such a huge fan and constantly tried to tell me Sparks was better than Rondo. He didn't like Rondo for reasons other than basketball and that also made me mad.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Perry should transfer to Gonzaga and average 20 points a game and play in Sweet 16's and Elite 8's..

Perry is listed at 6'2. Sparks was listed at 6'0

Am i missing something here????

I don't think Perry should be viewed as a Point, off the bench two guard...

[Joneslab]

Perry should transfer to Gonzaga and average 20 points a game and play in Sweet 16's and Elite 8's..

A lot of those Gonzaga guards after say 2005 or so have been NBA caliber players. Don't think the scrappy, unathletic white kid is really common with them anymore. When we've played them recently they're just as athletic as we are, probably more.

Perry is listed at 6'2. Sparks was listed at 6'0

Yeah, I don't really buy that.

But more than that, as I said it's about build. Perry is really small-statured. He looks like Rob Dillingham just in the way he's built.

[KentuckyWild2020]

A lot of those Gonzaga guards after say 2005 or so have been NBA caliber players. Don't think the scrappy, unathletic white kid is really common with them anymore. When we've played them recently they're just as athletic as we are, probably more.



Yeah, I don't really buy that.

But more than that, as I said it's about build. Perry is really small-statured. He looks like Rob Dillingham just in the way he's built.

It's all good. Let's just hope that Perry can stick around get better living out his dream playing basketball for the University of Kentucky and winning basketball games.


Truth is, this Kentucky BBN nation fan base is probably the achilles heel of all this, we are our own worst enemy. The tradition, the titles ,the history is all good but everything is under a microscope, who really wants to deal with all that when you can go elsewhere have success and in some ways grow at your own pace?

Even back in the day at Kentucky yes everything was noticed but your read it in the paper or talked to a friend. All teams all sports experience this now with the new age but at Kentucky playing basketball you have to have nerves of steel and a KOBE Mamba attitude to survive...

[KCKUKFan]

Perry should transfer to Gonzaga and average 20 points a game and play in Sweet 16's and Elite 8's..

Perry wouldn't get off the bench for Gonzaga.

[Lighthouse]

The irony though about Jon Hood is that he was a better athlete than he was a basketball player.

John Hood was never good enough to play at Kentucky. He had 2 things going for him coming out of Madisonville-North Hopkins HS. One, he could hit a 3 fairly often. Second was his stats, which were high. Why were they high? Because he was the only decent player on his HS team and he took most of the shots, as well as gathered most of their rebounds. I think it was his Mom who pushed for him to play for UK. Morehead State or Northern Kentucky would have been a better fit.

[KentuckyWild2020]

John Hood was never good enough to play at Kentucky. He had 2 things going for him coming out of Madisonville-North Hopkins HS. One, he could hit a 3 fairly often. Second was his stats, which were high. Why were they high? Because he was the only decent player on his HS team and he took most of the shots, as well as gathered most of their rebounds. I think it was his Mom who pushed for him to play for UK. Morehead State or Northern Kentucky would have been a better fit.

Billy Donovan wanted him at Florida , it was really down to Kentucky or Florida.

Hood played pick up game in Lexington on the weekends during the Billy G era. Players put him through the hardcore test prior to coming to Kentucky to A. see if he could make it under Billy G and B. just to make sure he would fit in, he checked all the boxes.

Furthermore, his ACL injury at Kentucky didn't help his cause but most importantly, Cal never wanted him but had to inherit him simply because he was a Kentucky kid and had to deal with it.

Regardless, doesn't matter, it's 2025 and somehow we are talking about Jon Hood, wild.

[Joneslab]

Arkansas is hanging in against Texas A&M down there, but Big Z just took one of the most vicious poster dunks I've ever seen in college. It was vicious.

But then he went down to the other end and scored a bucket of his own, which was pretty impressive.

[Los Gatos]

Vandy leads UTn by 13 at the half. Game @ Tn.

[TrueblueCATfan]

Hogs down 10 with 2:45 left...