Kevin Knox

[KCKUKFan]

PG Quade Green
SG Hamidou Diallo
SF Kevin Knox
PF Jared Vanderbilt
CE Mohamed Bamba

PG Shai Alexander
SG Jamarl Baker / Brad Calipari
SF Wenyen Gabriel / Sasha Jones
PF PJ Washington / Tai Wynyard
CE Nick Richards

I would assume this is the roster that we'd all prefer when all's said and done, no?

And, aside from inexperience and perhaps outside shooting, does this team lose? That's a HUGE and athletic basketball team, top to bottom.

[Joneslab]

Killeya-Jones can't play small forward. I saw that on KSR this weekend and I assume somebody made a flub. Looks like he could play the 4 at a high level maybe, but not the wing. We've never seen him dribble the basketball to my knowledge.

[lilproUK98]

PG Quade Green
SG Hamidou Diallo
SF Kevin Knox
PF Jared Vanderbilt
CE Mohamed Bamba

PG Shai Alexander
SG Jamarl Baker / Brad Calipari
SF Wenyen Gabriel / Sasha Jones
PF PJ Washington / Tai Wynyard
CE Nick Richards

I would assume this is the roster that we'd all prefer when all's said and done, no?

And, aside from inexperience and perhaps outside shooting, does this team lose? That's a HUGE and athletic basketball team, top to bottom.

I know it'll be hard to not start Vanderbilt, but I think he'll be the sixth man. Washington is maybe the best rebounder in this class, he's got to play PF IMO.

Green
Diallo
Knox
Washington
Bamba

Backups:
Alexander
Baker (or Johnson)
Vanderbilt
Gabriel
Richards/SKJ

[George]

You guys should probably just sub Vanderbilt, Washington, or Gabriel in to replace Diallo, because the likelihood of his return is slim.

[Joneslab]

^ It will probably be Knox starting at the 2 if Diallo leaves. Vanderbilt and Washington aren't going to play there. Washington is closer to a true 4 than anybody we'll have.

Alexander will back up and we should all hope he's better than advertised.

[Joneslab]

But really this team, with or without Diallo, will be as "positionless" as any Cal has ever had. In that way it'll be sort of his ideal team.

[George]

^ It will probably be Knox starting at the 2 if Diallo leaves. Vanderbilt and Washington aren't going to play there. Washington is closer to a true 4 than anybody we'll have.

Alexander will back up and we should all hope he's better than advertised.

I didn't mean at that position. Just in the vacant spot.

[Joneslab]

Rothstein says Cam Johnson will visit UCLA this week, but says Kentucky (along with Arizona and Oregon) is "still in the mix."

Kyle Tucker says that if Diallo stays in the draft Kentucky will remain a player for Johnson.

[KCKUKFan]

We want Diallo to stick around. He might be the most athletic player that Cal has ever had. The kid is a freak and he's a good basketball player, to boot.

Cameron Johnson is a nice player, but he's not Hamidou Diallo, and frankly, they're not even close.

[ndnbob]

Could we see the reactivation of the platoon system, IF UK gets Johnson and Bamba and Diallo stays? Yes, says Jack Pilgrim, on KSR. It worked well before....IF the players buy in.

[Joneslab]

Could we see the reactivation of the platoon system, IF UK gets Johnson and Bamba and Diallo stays? Yes, says Jack Pilgrim, on KSR. It worked well before....IF the players buy in.

If Johnson, Bamba, and Diallo are on the team he'll have to play a lot of players. Don't think he ever platoons again but that may be a team that has 10 or 11 who actually see the floor.

Johnson is a longshot at this point I have to think, and Diallo is very iffy. Still going to be pretty deep without those guys, but I think Cal loathed the platoon the first time round and will not do that again.

[George]

Could we see the reactivation of the platoon system, IF UK gets Johnson and Bamba and Diallo stays? Yes, says Jack Pilgrim, on KSR. It worked well before....IF the players buy in.

Jack Pilgrim's a boob. KSR's staff is like ESPN-lite: a couple of all-stars with credibility and original personalities, then a bunch of interchangeable kids who repeat the same hot take BS over and over throughout any given day.

[lilproUK98]

If Johnson, Bamba, and Diallo are on the team he'll have to play a lot of players. Don't think he ever platoons again but that may be a team that has 10 or 11 who actually see the floor.

Johnson is a longshot at this point I have to think, and Diallo is very iffy. Still going to be pretty deep without those guys, but I think Cal loathed the platoon the first time round and will not do that again.

I am as big an advocate as anyone on playing lots of players, but Cal usually groans at that possibility. But, yes, if all those guys are here you have to play at least 9-10 consistently. I don't think it's very likely at all that Johnson and Diallo are on the team. But I do think Bamba will be and possibly one of Diallo or Johnson....

So......do you "platoon" or just have 10 guys you always play, and sometimes 11??? If those 3 all are on the roster I honestly think Cal "platoons".... He will say again, "Hey, I didn't think this would happen again, but we just have to do it! I can't sit Vanderbilt, or Johnson, or Hami, or some of these other guys." He will make it an issue of these guys have worked and proven that they deserve to play in practice IMO.

If you get all 3 of those guys, you almost have no choice if you're Cal....he may call it something else though. If nobody gets injured like Alex did in 14-15, he will likely have to stay with it too....

A "platoon" system of:

Green/Alexander
Diallo/Johnson
Knox/Vanderbilt
Washington/Gabriel
Bamba/Richards or SKJ

would be simply devastating.

[Joneslab]

The difference is that at least three of those guys are going to be significantly better than their back-ups.

Quade Green is going to play most of the time. Alexander might play back-up point guard, but he isn't a true point guard. If Diallo returns he's going to play most of the time at the 2. Bamba is another guy that's going to be hard to take out.

Much different situation than last time. Last time you returned much of a team and added a new team. This time you're just adding a new team plus a few guys. If there's a platoon that's not a good thing because it means the top guys weren't as good as their billing.

[teamchemistry15]

If we add Bamba it might leave SKJ as the odd man out unless he has changed his work ethic and practice habits.