Is it time to panic yet?

[Joneslab]

Exactly, I think we can survive with our guards and forwards but the paint worries the crap out of me at this point. Hell, I would take Eloy Vargas at this stage of the game.....

I believe you overstate the guardplay we have coming back.

We've got three guards total. One of them is 5'9". Another is a freshman. A third has never been able to consistently hit a jumpshot and hardly played last year.

That's it.

You make it seem like we're stacked at that position. We're far from it. This team badly, BADLY, needs perimeter scoring.

Kentucky could add another big man and would still go nowhere unless Mulder is far better than advertised (assuming we get him) and Ulis is an all-American.

[J.Jennings]

I believe you overstate the guardplay we have coming back.

We've got three guards total. One of them is 5'9". Another is a freshman. A third has never been able to consistently hit a jumpshot and hardly played last year.

That's it.

You make it seem like we're stacked at that position. We're far from it. This team badly, BADLY, needs perimeter scoring.

Kentucky could add another big man and would still go nowhere unless Mulder is far better than advertised (assuming we get him) and Ulis is an all-American.

Ulis, Matthews, Briscoe, Hawkins, Mulder and yes Willis can handle the ball and play guard. If six isn't enough, I don't know how many guards you need. The line on Mattews is that overall he's as athletic as any freshman coming to college who has NBA ability to defend. Matthews also wants to play some point in college so who knows if Cal will play him at point or not.

[Joneslab]

Ulis, Matthews, Briscoe, Hawkins, Mulder and yes Willis can handle the ball and play guard. If six isn't enough, I don't know how many guards you need. The line on Mattews is that overall he's as athletic as any freshman coming to college who has NBA ability to defend. Matthews also wants to play some point in college so who knows if Cal will play him at point or not.

Matthews is a pure three.

Willis is a 3/4.

Hawkins has a ton of questions with his offensive game.

Briscoe is going to be good but you never know with freshmen.

Need more. Way more. Way, way more.

College basketball is a sport that's so dependent on guardplay. This is why Booker leaving was a crusher. You've got to have guys who can handle the ball, deliver the ball, shoot the ball, drive the ball, get fouled.

We need more.

[BBNalldayeveryday]

To sum it up if Cal doesn't pull a rabbit out of his hat somehow next week then what we currently have is a team that has the potential to be good, but nowhere near a national title contender. Would you guys say that's a fair precognition?

[KevinHall]

^ Yep pretty much what I think. A whole lot like 2013 where everything will have to go well to make the NCAA's. If an injury happens to a key player then it will be an NIT.

[J.Jennings]

Matthews is a pure three.

Willis is a 3/4.

Hawkins has a ton of questions with his offensive game.

Briscoe is going to be good but you never know with freshmen.

Need more. Way more. Way, way more.

College basketball is a sport that's so dependent on guardplay. This is why Booker leaving was a crusher. You've got to have guys who can handle the ball, deliver the ball, shoot the ball, drive the ball, get fouled.

We need more.

If you read the scouting reports on Matthews and his bio, he actually wants to learn how to play the point some in college. Is not a pure 3 unless your playing for Villanova........

[teamchemistry15]

If you read the scouting reports on Matthews and his bio, he actually wants to learn how to play the point some in college. Is not a pure 3 unless your playing for Villanova........

I want to go to the moon too

[Joneslab]

I think everybody's a potential point guard according to JWORLD.

Matthews is a 6'5"/6'6" swing man. Teamchemistry15 has a better chance of playing point guard than him.

And it really doesn't matter. Who can explain the difference between the 2 and the 3 in Calipari's system? Not me. Basically the same.

I'm just not convinced Matthews plays a lot. Not sure he's a guy who's going to be ready strength-wise to get a lot of minutes. And even if he does, we need more scoring out there. A lot more. I would be just as pleased with Murray as I would be with Diallo, but both would be tremendous.

When you lose seven guys, you essentially can't pick which positions you want. You need a little bit of everything.

[DA#23]

Here is a darn good, albeit depressing, offering from Matt Jones.

[JFCats22]

Here is a darn good, albeit depressing, offering from Matt Jones.

Quite depressing (and surprising). Unfortunately, the roster that he outlines (adding Mulder, nobody else), IMO, is not a top 25 team a fringe tourney team.

[teamchemistry15]

I think everybody's a potential point guard according to JWORLD.

Matthews is a 6'5"/6'6" swing man. Teamchemistry15 has a better chance of playing point guard than him.

And it really doesn't matter. Who can explain the difference between the 2 and the 3 in Calipari's system? Not me. Basically the same.

I'm just not convinced Matthews plays a lot. Not sure he's a guy who's going to be ready strength-wise to get a lot of minutes. And even if he does, we need more scoring out there. A lot more. I would be just as pleased with Murray as I would be with Diallo, but both would be tremendous.

When you lose seven guys, you essentially can't pick which positions you want. You need a little bit of everything.

I did play the 3 when I played basketball....

[Joneslab]

I did play the 3 when I played basketball....

Otherwise known as "point guard" according to JWORLD.

[Joneslab]

Of all the players the most interesting one is Brown.

I think Brown's silence might be tied to Ingram. Once Ingram makes his decision, I believe we might start hearing some noise about Brown.

Could be a player who ends up playing overseas. But I sort of wonder if he just wants Ingram to move out of the way before he decides.

[George]

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[Joneslab]

And Jones really doesn't say anything in that write-up that we haven't known for weeks (maybe months) except for the tidbit about Booker and Dakari. That's interesting and I can see that playing a role in some of these kids' decisions.

But people said this was a strange class going back probably a year. When you have them signing at places like Mississippi State and LSU and UNLV, you know you're up against a really strange set of circumstances.

Jones' point about one-and-dones being recruited by everybody now is a good point.