Class of 2018 - General Discussion

[Joneslab]

The ironic thing is that when you start recruiting players like we have on this team and a couple of guys we're after for next year, that's sort of the way many UK fans have wanted Cal to recruit for years.

I don't think he's doing it by design, but strangely it could end up benefiting UK in a big way starting next year.

You have to hang on to the more borderline players to do it though. Guys like Terrence Jones, who play big roles, need to come back for second years. And you absolutely must grab guys like Williamson.

[Joneslab]

Keldon Johnson is a Cat.

Would be nice to get Herro tomorrow. Next year's team has the potential to have straight quality at guard.

[Catsrock]

^^^Yes and will likely need Zion and some quality returnees on top if that to keep up with Duke next year. If only they could keep Grayson Allen another year to screw up their chemistry again! Darn shame he's a senior.

[George]

Nice get. Excellent finisher at the rim with plenty of athleticism to create shots around bigger/stronger defenders, but will need to bulk up a bit to counter some of those guys. Right now he's known as a tough finisher, but without additional strength he'll get his ish stuffed here and there at the next level.

HOWEVER, see the next video...

[George]

The Keldon Johnson you see here is the kind of player I dream of getting every single season. I LOVE the crafty midrange game on display here, and I hope that's what he brings to Kentucky more than anything else. That ability to pivot and pop from anywhere on the court? Man...that's what I'm talking about. Full toolkit right there, folks.

Get Herro today and we'll have ourselves a potentially lethal backcourt next year. Only thing is, if Herro and Johnson are on board, you have to assume Grimes is out of the picture.

[George]

Tyler Herro set his announcement date for this Tuesday. Given that he just wrapped up an official visit to UK, there really doesn't seem to be much mystery to this one.

Will be a shock if he's anything other than a Kentucky Wildcat after Tuesday.

[George]

I had a dream last night that Herro's decommitment and visit to Kentucky was a total troll job on the BBN. At his announcement, he put on a Wisconsin hat and said his plan the whole time was to screw with us.

[KCKUKFan]

I had a dream last night that Herro's decommitment and visit to Kentucky was a total troll job on the BBN. At his announcement, he put on a Wisconsin hat and said his plan the whole time was to screw with us.

This ain't football.

Herro will obviously be a Cat, which gives us a hell of a start on the class: Quickley, Herro, and Johnson is a great start in the fall. Wrap it up with Zion and then maybe a Moses Brown or a reclassify in the spring.

Add that on top of who probably will return (Green, Gilgeous-Alexander, Washington, Vanderbilt, Richards, Gabriel, Killeya-Jones?) Sounds like a recipe for big time wins to me.

[Joneslab]

Team's going to return a lot. Very little NBA talent out there.

The good: some experience next season.

The bad: you hope it doesn't push Zion elsewhere.

[KCKUKFan]

PG IMMANUEL QUICKLEY

SG KELDON JOHNSON

SF ZION WILLIAMSON

PF PJ WASHINGTON

CE NICK RICHARDS

PG QUADE GREEN

SG SHAI ALEXANDER

SF WENYEN GABRIEL

PF JARRED VANDERBILT

CE MOSES BROWN

SG TYLER HERRO

CE SASHA KILLEYA-JONES

SG BRAD CALIPARI


We'll obviously have a couple more NBA-defects than just Diallo and Knox, but a man can dream, can't he?

[KCKUKFan]

Team's going to return a lot. Very little NBA talent out there.

The good: some experience next season.

The bad: you hope it doesn't push Zion elsewhere.

Zion will take a backseat to nobody on this team, Will. The guy is a phenom and will pay dividends for Kentucky recruiting going forward in the same way that John Wall did.

[Joneslab]

Zion will take a backseat to nobody on this team, Will. The guy is a phenom and will pay dividends for Kentucky recruiting going forward in the same way that John Wall did.

I agree but we've seen situations where these players don't think like that. It's become en vogue for some of these guys to go to places where they're out on an island particularly because they can be the man.

Zion will be the man on next year's team regardless, but it depends on what he wants out of college. If he wants a Fultz/Simmons situation then next year's UK team isn't going to be that.

[KCKUKFan]

I agree but we've seen situations where these players don't think like that. It's become en vogue for some of these guys to go to places where they're out on an island particularly because they can be the man.

Zion will be the man on next year's team regardless, but it depends on what he wants out of college. If he wants a Fultz/Simmons situation then next year's UK team isn't going to be that.

Luckily, the other schools on his list (UNC, Duke, etc.) are looking at the same situation. Unless I forgot, he doesn't have a "lone wolf" on his list, ala LSU, Mizzou, Washington, etc.

[DA#23]

Zion’s recruitment would have gone differently to this point if he wanted to be a one man show.

I would think that that he just wants to make sure Knox and Diablo both go pro. He might also just want to postpone any posturing from his new strength coach to lose 30lbs. You just can’t be sure when you’re dealing with teenagers.....

[Joneslab]

Luckily, the other schools on his list (UNC, Duke, etc.) are looking at the same situation. Unless I forgot, he doesn't have a "lone wolf" on his list, ala LSU, Mizzou, Washington, etc.

Clemson.