2025-26 Roster Chatter (UPDATE: Oweh Returns, Roster Complete)

[KentuckyWild2020]

The days of building teams based on NBA potential were short and sweet, and they're gone.

Unless Duke wins it all then it's alive and well.

At this point, It's Dukes title to lose.

The young one and done necessarily wasn't the problem. Can you imagine Mark Pope coaching some of the 50 plus pros that came through Kentucky the past 16 years?

One guy wanted to mentally prepare a kids mind for the next level while one guy wants to utilize the talent in a system designed to help the University that pays him to win basketball games..

Still have to land the big fish in my opinion. After Michigan thumped Kentucky back in the day,It took A. Walker/ Mercer to get Rick over the hump.

[Joneslab]

Unless Duke wins it all then it's alive and well.

Duke has a once in a generation type of player there.

Even with Knueppel and the center, that team can't win it if not for Flagg. He's a world-altering sort of talent.

I'm not sure that's an argument for one-and-dones, because to chase that you'd have to be able to get that kind of player...and there's one of him roughly every five years or so.

The young one and done necessarily wasn't the problem. Can you imagine Mark Pope coaching some of the 50 plus pros that came through Kentucky the past 16 years?

It would be very hard to put a lot of those players in Pope's system.

Even if we could suspend disbelief and assume they'd come here, you'd have to assume that they would be willing to play in such a way that's more orchestrated and team-first and not contingent on them doing all they can individually to get themselves drafted.

Of course the top of the top--Wall, Davis, Towns, Fox, Monk--would be fine. But I'm not sure it would be a winner for the way he coaches.

There's a reason we had success this year: older players buying in. Same reason a place like Houston has the success they do. They're always very old, and those players are the ones who give you complete buy-in. If you get professional (NBA or NBA-adjacent) talent AND buy-in AND they stay healthy...well, that's how you win titles with this.

[George]

Kerr has entered the portal.

[EKYCat]

Duke has a once in a generation type of player there.

Even with Knueppel and the center, that team can't win it if not for Flagg. He's a world-altering sort of talent.

I'm not sure that's an argument for one-and-dones, because to chase that you'd have to be able to get that kind of player...and there's one of him roughly every five years or so.



It would be very hard to put a lot of those players in Pope's system.

Even if we could suspend disbelief and assume they'd come here, you'd have to assume that they would be willing to play in such a way that's more orchestrated and team-first and not contingent on them doing all they can individually to get themselves drafted.

Of course the top of the top--Wall, Davis, Towns, Fox, Monk--would be fine. But I'm not sure it would be a winner for the way he coaches.

There's a reason we had success this year: older players buying in. Same reason a place like Houston has the success they do. They're always very old, and those players are the ones who give you complete buy-in. If you get professional (NBA or NBA-adjacent) talent AND buy-in AND they stay healthy...well, that's how you win titles with this.

Houston was the one team in this tournament that I thought would absolutely manhandle us. I hated losing to UT, but I think the outcome would have been the same for us as it was for them yesterday.

[Joneslab]

Houston was the one team in this tournament that I thought would absolutely manhandle us. I hated losing to UT, but I think the outcome would have been the same for us as it was for them yesterday.

Houston is so well-coached and well-drilled in what they do defensively.

It amazes me that more teams don't do what they do against the pick-and-roll, which is basically jump and/or ice every ball screen with such relentless ferocity that they make the point guard give up the ball, and if not he has the ball wrenched away from him in a cage of arms.

You have to have elite conditioning to play that way, but I think it's the best way to play this barrage of ball screens everybody is throwing out there.

[TrueblueCATfan]

Kerr has entered the portal.

I'm kinda shocked by this...really though after being injured all season he would stick around

[Joneslab]

I'm kinda shocked by this...really though after being injured all season he would stick around

I imagine he wasn't going to get the NIL offer he was trying to get.

Nor should he. We can do better for a back-up point guard. Kerr was likely asking for quite a lot and he didn't play enough for us to warrant that kind of "contract."

[justafan]

I imagine he wasn't going to get the NIL offer he was trying to get.

And to piggy back on Wills thought - this is really the answer to all the questions of "why did a player go to X instead of UK, or some other place". This is an indicator right here.

Now - other UK players in the recent past have entered and withdrawn their names. Either they didn't get what they were asking, or there was a negotiation and both sides came to an agreement. Welcome to the (slightly) new business model!

[Mr.Nezzer]

The ruling against the NCAA pretty much neutered them. Just as they can't prevent them from earning money - they also can't prevent them from earning their maximum potential money. Their hands are tied.

Disagree..there could be a NIL cap similar to a salary cap in the NFL and others professional sports. As its set up now any school with the $$$ they can buy a NC.
Do get me wrong I like that these kids are getting money buy now....its crazy

[EKYCat]

And to piggy back on Wills thought - this is really the answer to all the questions of "why did a player go to X instead of UK, or some other place". This is an indicator right here.

Now - other UK players in the recent past have entered and withdrawn their names. Either they didn't get what they were asking, or there was a negotiation and both sides came to an agreement. Welcome to the (slightly) new business model!

Add in that he may be getting recruited over, which Will eluded to, and he wants to go somewhere that he's going to play. He was one of the guys that you love one minute and hate the very next trip down the floor, in my opinion.

[justafan]

Disagree..there could be a NIL cap similar to a salary cap in the NFL and others professional sports. As its set up now any school with the $$$ they can buy a NC.
Do get me wrong I like that these kids are getting money buy now....its crazy

In order for there to be a salary cap, there has to be an agreement between two parties. The universities are the first party, who is the second? There is no players union in college, there is no second party.

[justafan]

Add in that he may be getting recruited over, which Will eluded to, and he wants to go somewhere that he's going to play. He was one of the guys that you love one minute and hate the very next trip down the floor, in my opinion.

100% - there have always been reasons (I posted way above) that players leave a program. Some literally come down to homesickness or a girlfriend - things a program cannot (easily) overcome.

NIL just adds a bigger reason to overcome. Pope can't offer 50% of his NIL "budget" to one player, he has to have enough for others.

Michael Jordan's agent, when MJ become an unrestricted? free agent that MJ was "worth the entirety of the salary cap". Sorta true - but he needed someone to pass him the ball, etc.

Pope and coaches are in the same boat - they have to "spread the wealth". Using the player going to USCjr earlier (yesterday?) as an example - maybe that coach spent a way higher % of their NIL money because they needed a big fish/gamble/whatever. Or maybe they're just terrible with money

[Mr.Nezzer]

In order for there to be a salary cap, there has to be an agreement between two parties. The universities are the first party, who is the second? There is no players union in college, there is no second party.

An agreement among the "member institutions " so that the college game can still appear competitive.
This would allow compensation for NIL. They could have also set some bonus programs for players appearing in the NCAAT ....bonus pay for each round.
Something like this would have satisfied the lawsuit issues while maintaining some semblance of college athletics.
As it sits now team a can get the top players via the portal win it all, then those players are up for grabs for the next team to purchace

[EKYCat]

An agreement among the "member institutions " so that the college game can still appear competitive.
This would allow compensation for NIL. They could have also set some bonus programs for players appearing in the NCAAT ....bonus pay for each round.
Something like this would have satisfied the lawsuit issues while maintaining some semblance of college athletics.
As it sits now team a can get the top players via the portal win it all, then those players are up for grabs for the next team to purchace

Yeah but you have to have an agreement for the "contractors" as well. The guys getting paid aren't going to sit back and just take whatever a group of institutions says they'll give them.

[Mr.Nezzer]

Yeah but you have to have an agreement for the "contractors" as well. The guys getting paid aren't going to sit back and just take whatever a group of institutions says they'll give them.

Thats exactly how it works in the real world. If I want to work for Ford, Amazon, whatever company, they will offer a certain rate. If it doesn't satisfy people look elsewhere.
Much the same if the NCAA set a rate and these kids weren't happy they could go G league or overseas.