247's Crystal Ball now has it 50/50 for UK and Duke after several recent picks changed from UK to Duke.
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One of today's picks for Duke is Drew Franklin.
Would be interested to hear what his scoop is.
And it could be if Bolden has moved to Duke that he or his camp feel like Skal may be back. I'm in the minority but I still think Skal could be a fantastic college player. Obviously he has a hellaciously long way to go, but if you could bottle those eight to ten good games he had this year and make him consistent, he could be a dynamic player.Comment
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Probably not.
I think Kentucky will be okay either way...but clearly Bolden would be nice as he'd fireproof us against Humphries and/or Wynyard having to improve so dramatically that they're going to be at least in the rotation.
But with these freshmen big men you never know. Most of them ain't Towns or Cousins. We get a little too pumped when we see FIVE STARS out beside their names. Body-wise Bolden looks great. You just never know what you're going to get with these 18-year-old bigs. Guards/wings are much easier to get a handle on.Comment
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Poy= Body like Tarzan played like Jane so looks can be deceiving.
One thing I have never understood is how people get info about a players college choice. Are they in tight with a family member or are they just saying things to get attention?Comment
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Most of the time it's about attention. There's a lot of message board clout when a guy says he has a "source." Usually the source is either nonexistent or it's just a random guy.
Very occasionally--VERY occasionally--on the boards you'll see somebody who has a legitimate in with the program. You know this because the person keeps coming back with good info. But most of the time these guys are lying. In the Cal era almost nobody has a source because the players we've gone after are so close-mouthed, and because we've entered an era now of supreme secrecy. None of these players want their decisions leaked because the ultimate reveal has become a media showcase for their "brand."
Now the writers who follow the teams are different. These guys definitely have sources because, like any journalist, they've sort of worked them over the years and built those relationships. But what will usually happen is a rumor will get out, it'll enter the echo chamber, and in five or six hours everybody is parroting it like it's the truth. It's part of what makes following recruiting so unpredictable.Comment
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If you follow the right people, on Twitter, you can find out stuff before it becomes too widespread.Philippians 4:11-4:13Comment
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You can find out stuff, but it's not always the right stuff.
"Sources" in basketball, since Calipari has been here, have been almost nonexistent. Some stuff went around before Tubby; I knew of a handful of people that were pretty solid.
Now? You might as well flip a coin with these kinds of players. There are people in these kids' inner circles who don't know what they're going to do. It has become so much about the announcement. There's a lot at stake to keep things secret.
You can definitely get a feel with certain players, but a lot of times even the feel is wrong. Jamal Murray is proof positive of that.Comment
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Duke has now overtaken the crystal ball for Bolden....Meyer is still hanging on with his UK pick.
Hopefully the Kentucky boys have success doing some recruiting this week at the Mcdonalds game.Comment
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Per Rivals, Matt Jones has said he believes Bolden ends up at Duke because the parents are pushing pretty hard for Duke.
Really you can't go wrong if you're a player with either of the two schools. Tough choice, great track records for both, there's need for him at both places. If you feel like you might be a long-term college player you might choose Duke; if you definitely want the NBA quickly Cal may have a slight advantage, but only slight.
I don't envy players their decisions when it comes down to situations like this.
Still think Kentucky will be fine regardless. Assuming we don't get Jarrett Allen--who is from some accounts not quite as polished as Bolden--we're going to have to mix and match in the post, and we're going to have to pray guys like Lee and Humphries can make STEEP improvements over the next seven months. But most were fired up about UK's team even when Bolden seemed like a pipe dream. Nothing's changed as far as that goes.
The only problem is that it gives a big body to the team that's likely going to be the preseason #1. It's never good to give your biggest competitor more ammunition.Comment
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Is the Turk still a possibility?Comment
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I think the biggest issue with Bolden isn't him not going to UK. It's him not going to UK AND going to Duke. If he were going to Virginia or NC St or wherever it wouldn't be that big a deal.
But, since UK could use him and he may end up at the #1 team it's kind of a double blow.Comment
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Haven't heard much on the UK front about him recently, I have heard a few other coaches have flew across the pond to meet with him.
So not sure if that means UK has became leery of his eligibility or if he just hasn't shown much interest lately in UK....i'm sure after the Bolden announcement if it goes the way people are thinking now he may come back into the conversation again.Comment
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MJ says that Wynyard is way below Humphries and that the issue with Bolden has mostly to do with (1) his mom wants Duke, and (2) nobody they've spoken to in Lexington thinks they're going to get him.
Says that almost every time people in Lexington know beforehand that they're going to get a player. Can only think of one instance--Wiltjer--where it kind of came out of the blue.
Finishes by saying that he has no concrete information either way and that nobody he's spoken to has explicitly said Bolden to Duke.Comment
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