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Edward Isaacson of http://www.nbadraftblog.com follows all aspects of college basketball and, unlike NBA team scouts that can’t comment about college players unless they do it anonymously, he can share his insights on individual players. I’ve always liked how candid he is in his assessments and he’s been very accurate with his observations.
Question: Was there just too much hype for this team or could UK still be national champion this year?
Isaacson: “It's rare that you see a lot of hype if there isn't talent to warrant it, and UK certainly has the talent to be a force in March. The biggest problems to me seem to be that this group of freshmen is very low on the learning curve of actual basketball knowledge. They are athletic. They can run, dunk, shoot, block shots. They don't understand the finer points of the game - court spacing, dealing with screens, reading defenses, etc. This isn't a knock on Coach Calipari. These kids either weren't taught the game well as high-schoolers or they ignored it. Coach Calipari has only has a short time to catch them up on things they should know while teaching them the new things they need. There is still time though for it to come together, but these kids will need to work harder than they ever had before to make their mark.”
Question: Has the overall play of Willie Cauley-Stein surprised you? Has he helped his draft status or is it too early to say?
Isaacson: “It's best to split this into two parts. Cauley-Stein's defense hasn't surprised me, but his offense is starting to come along quicker than I was expecting. He has probably doubled the amount of post moves he had last year, though he still has a long way to go.
“I had mentioned before the season that if everything fell right, he could be a lottery pick, and I still think that. I don't think he will develop enough to break into a high lottery guy, but an athletic 7-footer who can run the floor and block shots could be appealing to a few teams.”
Question: What do you like/not like about the play of Julius Randle? What must he do to be the No. 1 pick, or is that possible?
Isaacson: “Randle has done a tremendous job doing what he does best — using his body to overpower defenders in the post. I've been most impressed with his touch around the basket and how light on his feet he is. I think he needs to work on using his right hand more. The spin move he always uses to get back to his left to take a shot may work in college, but NBA teams will figure it quickly.
“I also think he can be more active on the defensive end. Randle is a strong rebounder, but you don't see him getting involved on misses that aren't right around him. The No. 1 pick debate will go on throughout the rest of the year, and it may really come down to owns the pick. As far as I'm concerned, Randle is still in the mix for that spot.”
Question: Are the Harrison twins both potential first-round picks in June or not? What are the pluses/minuses for each?
Isaacson: “I think they both could be if they choose to come out of school, though both have a lot of work to do before then. Aaron has been the more impressive of the two with his ability to knock down shots with at least some consistency of as late. Andrew does a good job once he gets into the lane drawing contact, but it is becoming more of an adventure getting him to focus his energies on doing that.
“Andrew also hasn't shown that he is capable yet of being an NBA point guard. His court vision isn't very good and other than lobs, he doesn't get the ball effectively to his teammates. Neither are very good on the defensive end, though Aaron seems to recover a bit quicker after he gets beat. I could write another 500 words about their body language on the court, but that's for another time. It's safe to say that the sulking and looks of disbelief after every call against them is not doing the twins any favors with NBA folks.”
Question: Has James Young's play surprised you? Is he a certain first-round draft pick as some have speculated?
Isaacson: “I was highly skeptical after all of the early reports from media who visited UK practices who came out saying Young was the team's best player, and I was right to be. He's not. He's a good scorer, though he benefits a lot from the attention Randle gets around the lane area. Right now, to me, he is good as a spot-up shooter and in transition, but still below average to average at every other part of the offensive game.
“He's only a 40 percent shooter right now and only 34 percent from 3. Nothing exactly to get excited about, though part of that blame can go towards the point guard. Young also can be an above-average defender, though he is inconsistent and relies more on his size and athleticism than playing fundamental defense. There is a lot of potential and I can see some teams still being interested in him as a first rounder, but I wouldn't say he has played like one.”
Question: Has Alex Poythress shown things to make NBA coaches make him a first-round pick or do you think his draft stock might be lower now than a year ago?
Isaacson: “I though through the first five or six games, Poythress was doing a great job as an energy guy off the bench. He understood his role and and handled it well. Against Michigan State, he was one of UK's top two players out there. I'm not sure what has happened the last couple of games, but he seems to have reverted back to the second-half of last year.
“Inconsistent minutes are tough and it takes a different mindset to be able to step on the floor and play well when those minutes can come at different points throughout the game. He still has time this year to adjust and he is still a great athlete with an NBA-body, but I think its tough to say he would be a first-rounder right now.”
Question: What are your overall thoughts on Dakari Johnson/Marcus Lee?
Isaacson: “It's tough to get a great read on these two with the spare minutes they get. My early impressions are that I love how Lee works when he gets on the floor and if he gets beat, its not for lack of effort.
“I'm not a fan of Johnson from what I have seen. He's very awkward-moving for a post player and he has a similar problem as the Harrisons in that he is in disbelief in every call that goes against him. I have no idea how he was ranked so high coming out of high school other than his size.”
Question: Was there just too much hype for this team or could UK still be national champion this year?
Isaacson: “It's rare that you see a lot of hype if there isn't talent to warrant it, and UK certainly has the talent to be a force in March. The biggest problems to me seem to be that this group of freshmen is very low on the learning curve of actual basketball knowledge. They are athletic. They can run, dunk, shoot, block shots. They don't understand the finer points of the game - court spacing, dealing with screens, reading defenses, etc. This isn't a knock on Coach Calipari. These kids either weren't taught the game well as high-schoolers or they ignored it. Coach Calipari has only has a short time to catch them up on things they should know while teaching them the new things they need. There is still time though for it to come together, but these kids will need to work harder than they ever had before to make their mark.”
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