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Philippians 4:11-4:13 -
How much will it affect Bamba's draft position if he goes to Texas vs UK? Is he a outlier?Comment
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Probably about the same that it affected Kevin Durant going to Texas. Granted they're different positions but I'll bet NBA scouts are salivating over Bamba's length. Seen where if he was in the NBA right now, he would have #1/2 wingspan and standing reach, with room to put on some serious muscle.Comment
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It's hard to say...but there is some risk involved if he does pick Texas.
You've got a coach in Cal who has dealt with multiple players like Bamba on one side. And on the other, you have Shaka Smart, who hasn't had many players like Bamba at all--in fact until Jarrett Allen he'd had no experience at all in that sort of talent pool.
This is the main reason why the college choice matters: Cal. And Cal isn't alone; Coach K is in the same boat, maybe a couple of others. But playing for a coach who will do everything in his power to get you to the NBA is a major part of why so many of these players choose Kentucky.
Not all college coaches do this. In fact few do. Case in point: Rick Pitino. Listen to the disdain Pitino has for the NBA when he talks about it.
As all UK fans know, this isn't totally a good thing. It's a major part of what causes this constant and relentless turnover. But the trade-off is that many of these players end up at UK.Comment
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The TV thing and the national championship thing are also huge for NBA prospects.
One, because those types of players tend to be the most fiery competitors. But also because the more you're on television, the more exposure you get, thus the better chance you have to show yourself to pro scouts (This can also be a negative: Skal, if he would've gone the Diallo route, likely would have been a top 3 pick. That he played at Kentucky and exposed all those weaknesses hurt him and ultimately cost him money.)
People tend to assume that all these programs are like Kentucky and their players get maximum exposure. What most ignore is that college basketball is a niche sport that plays to a niche audience. It isn't like college football, where you have the power conferences basically highlighted relentlessly every weekend. Exposure is paramount in this game, and you don't get it everywhere. Texas is a huge program with an incredible budget...but they played most of their games last year on the Big 12 Network. These high school players notice things like that, and when you sell a Kentucky or Duke it makes a monumental difference in that I think it speaks to the players' competitive spirit but also to their desire to market their games.Comment
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Knox decision coming soon, I don't have high hopes whatsoever, I just really hope he doesn't pick Duke or UNC.Comment
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Duke signed an unranked PG......is this a sign that they are worried about landing Duvall?
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Zagoria with a short write-up about Diallo and how NBA teams are trying to find information about him.
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Well, that article is just great. Makes me want him even more and think even less that he will return.Comment
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On the flipside, Diallo's prep coach is still confident he will stay at UK....
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Kentucky scheduling a game in MSG for this December is the icing on the cake for me. That game is for the NYC area guys on next year's team, and future recruits to come to....
If Diallo and Bamba aren't on next seasons roster I will be shocked at this point.Comment
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You have to be a member to read this, but the title says sources "feel good" about Texas's chances to land Bamba.
At first I was more worried about Duke, as usual, but the longer this goes the more that Texas seems to be gaining momentum.
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Kyle Tucker†@KyleTucker_SEC 53s54 seconds agoOne very smart person told me this week he believes Bamba decision a "coin flip" now between UK and Texas.Comment
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